The start of any new year provides an opportunity to take stock of where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re headed. The past two years have brought challenges (and opportunities) to members of our shared community that none of us could have predicted. For some like myself, it has been unrelenting in testing our patience, sanity, and resolve, each and every day. For others, including some of my colleagues, it has introduced new, productive and enjoyable ways of living and working. I’m sure you can relate in some way.
One thing that remains consistent across Seattle City Light is our commitment to serving you, our customers, and partnering with you to meet your energy needs. We recognize that during the pandemic, you likely relied on the electricity we provide you more than ever—to work, attend school, connect, and play—from home. Technology has become even more crucial to how we stay engaged with the people we love and work with when it’s unsafe to meet in person, and of course, electricity is needed to power that technology.
With your support, we were able to continue to deliver reliable, affordable, and environmentally responsible electricity without significant challenge, even in the face of decreased staffing and constrained budgets, not unlike many other businesses in the Seattle area. We learned that we are more resilient than we might have thought, and we are grateful for the patience you have shown us along the way. Above all, we’ve learned that we can all benefit from community connections now more than ever.
One way we connected as a community last year was when customers like you took action to help us learn more about what you want and need from your electric utility. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share your thoughts with us through surveys, social media, our call center, website, and more. We truly value your feedback as we seek to better serve you.
Here is a sample of what we heard and what we learned:
- You care deeply about your communities and your planet, and you expect us to do our part to help take care of both.
- You want to know how you can help reduce your impact on the environment.
- You believe providing clean, carbon-free power and helping reduce energy use should be top priorities for our utility.
- There are customers who likely qualify for assistance but aren’t currently enrolled in our assistance programs.
- A majority of you are interested in owning an electric vehicle one day.
- Email is the best way we can interact and engage with you.
Looking ahead in 2022, we want to take more actions based on what matters most to you. To start, we are establishing a customer-focused newsletter called “Community Connections” that will provide you with more of the information you seek, delivered regularly, as many of you requested, in your email inbox. We will continue to pilot new programs and services for business and residential customers aimed at reducing carbon emissions while keeping costs affordable. We plan to collaborate more frequently with communities, government agencies, nonprofits, business owners, and regulatory bodies to continue to advocate for increased electrification and decarbonization across the region.
While you may not have thought of your electric utility as an active partner to your family, business, or community in the past, it is our goal that you begin to do so as we meet the uncertain future together. We stand ready to learn, adapt, improve, and serve our vibrant and thought-leading community on energy and climate change for the better. Thank you for your continued support and trust in us as your electricity provider, and we look forward to ensuring you have the reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible power you expect and need in 2022 and for years to come.