Who runs the utilities in Washington?
Washington has 3,306,331 residential customers, EIA-861 2024 sales file (98% of EIA's count). Investor-owned 43.9%. Political subdivision 30.6%. Municipal 21.0%. Cooperative 4.5%. Washington ranks 46th of 51 states, investor-owned.
Washington homes by utility type
Washington: customers by type, %
- 43.9Investor-owned
- 21.0Municipal
- 4.5Cooperative
- 30.6Political subdivision
| Washington type | Utilities | Customers | Share | Price ¢/kWh | Gap ¢ (%) | kWh/mo | Nonmetro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investor-owned | 2 | 1,452,107 | 43.9% | 13.80 | not shown | 904 | 33% |
| Municipal | 17 | 693,196 | 21.0% | 12.50 | -1.30 (-9%) | 722 | 17% |
| Cooperative | 16 | 147,647 | 4.5% | 10.10 | -3.70 (-27%) | 1,276 | 31% |
| Political subdivision | 24 | 1,013,381 | 30.6% | 9.79 | -4.01 (-29%) | 1,135 | 38% |
| State and federal | 1 | 0 | none | none | not shown | none | no county data |
Washington prices by utility type
municipal utilities average 12.5 cents, 1.3 cents (9%) below investor-owned at 13.8; cooperatives average 10.1 cents, 3.7 cents (27%) below investor-owned at 13.8; political-subdivision utilities average 9.8 cents, 4.0 cents (29%) below investor-owned at 13.8.
Washington gaps mix cost and customer mix; method.
Washington: which utilities set the averages
Investor-owned at 13.8 cents and political-subdivision utilities at 9.8 are the widest pair in Washington, 4.0 cents (41%).
Investor-owned: Puget Sound Energy Inc holds 75% of priced customers at 14.6 cents, group average 13.8. Among 3 with 5,000+ customers, PacifiCorp charges 11.1 and Puget Sound Energy Inc 14.6, 3.6 cents apart.
Municipal: City of Seattle holds 66% of priced customers at 14.1 cents, group average 12.5. Among 6 with 5,000+ customers, City of Port Angeles charges 9.1 and City of Seattle 14.1, 5.0 cents apart.
Cooperative: Inland Power & Light Company holds 28% of priced customers at 9.0 cents, group average 10.1. Among 8 with 5,000+ customers, Modern Electric Water Company charges 7.4 and Orcas Power & Light Coop 18.4, 10.9 cents apart.
Political subdivision: PUD No 1 of Snohomish County holds 34% of priced customers at 11.5 cents, group average 9.8. Among 18 with 5,000+ customers, PUD No 1 of Douglas County charges 3.1 and PUD No 3 of Mason County 13.8, 10.6 cents apart.
Washington territory, rural or urban
Washington has 39 counties, 51% of them nonmetro in USDA's 2023 codes. Customer-weighted: investor-owned territory is 33% nonmetro; municipal territory is 17% nonmetro; cooperative territory is 31% nonmetro; political-subdivision territory is 38% nonmetro.
Washington: largest utilities
| Puget Sound Energy Inc | Investor-owned | 1,091,599 | 14.63 | 875 | 25% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Seattle | Municipal | 459,964 | 14.09 | 601 | 0% |
| PUD No 1 of Snohomish County | Political subdivision | 346,532 | 11.51 | 946 | 50% |
| Avista Corp | Investor-owned | 246,055 | 11.87 | 901 | 67% |
| PUD No 1 of Clark County | Political subdivision | 219,477 | 10.41 | 1,008 | 0% |
| City of Tacoma | Municipal | 180,357 | 10.81 | 907 | 50% |
| PacifiCorp | Investor-owned | 114,453 | 11.08 | 1,181 | 33% |
| PUD No 1 of Benton County | Political subdivision | 50,072 | 8.81 | 1,220 | 0% |
| PUD No 1 of Cowlitz County | Political subdivision | 48,267 | 8.80 | 1,327 | 0% |
| PUD No 2 of Grant County | Political subdivision | 42,485 | 6.01 | 1,659 | 80% |
| PUD No 1 of Chelan County | Political subdivision | 42,120 | 3.67 | 1,782 | 50% |
| Inland Power & Light Company | Cooperative | 41,684 | 8.98 | 1,430 | 50% |
| PUD No 1 of Grays Harbor County | Political subdivision | 39,881 | 12.52 | 1,055 | 80% |
| Peninsula Light Company | Cooperative | 35,478 | 10.51 | 1,264 | 0% |
| PUD No 3 of Mason County | Political subdivision | 33,975 | 13.79 | 1,133 | 50% |
| PUD No 1 of Clallam County | Political subdivision | 30,585 | 11.85 | 1,252 | 100% |
| PUD No 1 of Lewis County | Political subdivision | 29,417 | 9.48 | 1,395 | 50% |
| PUD No 1 of Franklin County | Political subdivision | 27,388 | 9.68 | 1,207 | 0% |
| City of Richland | Municipal | 25,687 | 9.82 | 1,244 | 0% |
| PUD No 1 of Jefferson County | Political subdivision | 18,661 | 13.01 | 996 | 100% |
| PUD No 1 of Okanogan County | Political subdivision | 18,133 | 10.23 | 1,367 | 100% |
| PUD No 1 of Douglas County | Political subdivision | 16,667 | 3.15 | 2,273 | 0% |
| PUD No 2 of Pacific County | Political subdivision | 16,513 | 9.17 | 993 | 100% |
| Elmhurst Mutual Power & Light Co | Cooperative | 15,410 | 8.32 | 1,230 | 0% |
| Orcas Power & Light Coop | Cooperative | 13,948 | 18.38 | 970 | 100% |
| Benton Rural Electric Assn | Cooperative | 13,422 | 9.27 | 1,425 | 33% |
| Vera Irrigation District #15 | Political subdivision | 12,171 | 9.18 | 1,095 | 0% |
| PUD No 1 of Klickitat County | Political subdivision | 11,917 | 12.05 | 1,148 | 25% |
| City of Port Angeles | Municipal | 9,321 | 9.13 | 1,106 | 100% |
| Modern Electric Water Company | Cooperative | 9,181 | 7.43 | 927 | 0% |
Compare your Washington utility
- Pick a utility.
Washington next to its neighbors
Washington: municipal -9%, cooperative -27% against investor-owned. Gaps are within each state.
More
Similar investor-owned share: Arkansas 54%, Georgia 52%, Mississippi 42%, Texas 9%
Sources
Washington: EIA-861 (2024), USDA RUCC (2023); retrieval dates, checksums.
Questions
Which utility type serves most Washington homes?
Investor-owned utilities, 43.9% of 3,306,331 customers.
Do Washington co-ops or municipal utilities charge less?
Municipal utilities averaged 12.5 cents per kWh against 13.8 for investor-owned (-9%). Cooperatives averaged 10.1 cents per kWh against 13.8 for investor-owned (-27%). Political-subdivision utilities averaged 9.8 cents per kWh against 13.8 for investor-owned (-29%).
How many utilities does Washington have?
EIA-861 (2024) lists 60; residential sales are reported by 38.
Can Washington customers pick their utility?
No; Washington shows almost no energy-only supply and the address sets the utility.