EPA and DOE Recognize Puget Sound Energy with ENERGY STAR(R) 2006 Partner of the Year Award; Puget Sound Energy Earns Award for Protecting the Environment Through Energy Efficiency.

BELLEVUE, Wash. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have named Puget Sound Energy (PSE) as an ENERGY STAR 2006 Partner of the Year for implementing lighting programs that have enabled its utility customers to save nearly 137 million kilowatt-hours of electricity in their homes consumed over a three year period. PSE's accomplishments were recognized today (March 21, 2006) at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Puget Sound Energy was honored today for promoting energy-efficient products to help homeowners and builders adopt smart energy practices and reduce energy use.

"As an ENERGY STAR partner, Puget Sound Energy shares the award with our thousands of customers and dozens of builders who have taken action to install compact fluorescent lights and energy-saving lighting fixtures to help save energy in the Pacific Northwest region where continued growth puts increased demand on our resources," said Puget Sound Energy Vice President of Energy Efficiency Cal Shirley. "Through our ENERGY STAR partnerships with neighboring utilities Tacoma Power, Seattle City Light, Snohomish Public Utility District and the City of Ellensburg, and through support from a Bonneville Power Administration incentive program, we were able to introduce the lighting fixture promotion to the Pacific Northwest. Area home improvement retailers and lighting showrooms and distributors already have sold nearly 24,000 energy-efficient lighting fixtures in the Puget Sound region," added Shirley.

The Excellence in Energy Efficiency Program Delivery Award is given to a variety of organizations to recognize their efforts to improve energy efficiency and reduce pollution, resulting in significant cost savings to homeowners. Award winners are selected from thousands of organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.

Last year alone, with the help of ENERGY STAR, Americans saved $12 billion on their energy bills and enough peak energy to power 28 million homes. Through those savings they avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of more than 23 million vehicles.

"We are proud of the commitment partners like Puget Sound Energy have made to helping Americans save energy," said Kathleen Hogan, director of EPA's Climate Protection Partnerships Division. "The Partner of the Year award recognizes partners whose efforts to promote energy-efficient products are exceptional. They have been instrumental in putting more than 2 billion ENERGY STAR qualified products into American households over the last decade."

About Puget Sound Energy

Puget Sound Energy is Washington State's oldest and largest energy utility, providing electric service to more than 1 million customers and natural gas service to more than 693,000 in 11 Washington counties. The utility's customer base is growing annually at about 2 percent for its electric service and 3 percent for its natural gas service. As a regulated utility, Puget Sound Energy is following a strategy that emphasizes meeting the energy needs of its customer base through incremental, cost-effective energy conservation, low-cost procurement of energy resources, such as wind power, and prudent investment in energy-delivery infrastructure. Puget Sound Energy is a subsidiary of Puget Energy (NYSE:PSD).

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, the program offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 8,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).