Local News | Puget Energy sales soar in cold weather | Seattle Times Newspaper

Puget Sound Energy says it's selling record amounts of electricity and natural gas during the current cold spell.

The Bellevue-based utility says its peak electricity load on Monday night broke a record set in 1998, and natural gas use broke a record set in 2006.

PSE serves more than 1 million electrical customers and 750,000 gas customers in 11 counties.

In Seattle, energy consumption is about 25 percent higher than normal for this time of year, said Suzanne Hartman, spokeswoman for Seattle City Light.

The greening of Greg Nickels

Seattle Mayor Nickels' Climate Action Plan brought him global glory as "America's green mayor." But is it civic transformation or eco-opportunism? Or how about both?

March '08 | Lights to go off in Seattle for climate-change awareness event | Seattle Times Newspaper

In Seattle, Mayor Greg Nickels has ordered all city lights — with the exception of some necessary outdoor, safety and emergency lighting — be switched off. Seattle Municipal Tower, the Central Library, the Seattle Justice Center, city parks, community centers, ballfields and 18 city-owned tennis courts are on the list. Many of the lights are turned off on Saturday evenings anyway.

The event is meant to symbolize how small actions such as turning out lights can lower electricity consumption. Individual people are invited to participate by turning off all their lights for the hour too.

"We are joining millions of people across the world who share our concerns about climate change," Nickels said in a news release.