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Seattle council approves City Light rate ordinance, citing grid upgrades and green energy costs
Summary
The council unanimously approved council bill 121231, implementing new retail rate schedules and a new data‑center customer class and authorizing an approximate 9.5% rate increase to support clean‑energy procurement and grid investments; the vote included expansion of the utility discount program.
Seattle City Council voted unanimously on July 21, 2026 to approve council bill 121231, a City Light rate ordinance that establishes new retail rate schedules, creates a new customer class and modifies rate stabilization mechanisms.
Sponsor Council member Alex Juarez told colleagues the ordinance responds to long‑term planning and the utility’s strategy to secure diversified clean energy resources (wind, solar, battery storage) and to address aging infrastructure. The committee record and staff presentations cited projected slow load growth and higher regional transmission and procurement costs as drivers of the proposed ~9.5% rate increase.
Council members emphasized the tradeoffs between needed infrastructure investments and affordability. Council member Lynn praised City Light’s planning and the utility discount program changes; the legislation includes an expansion of the utility discount program that the council said will add 31,000 households eligible at program launch and increase to roughly 81,000–83,000 in the following two years. Members also discussed protections to avoid subsidizing large data center loads.
Rob Santoff, interim Seattle City Light director, and Kirsty Grainger, CFO, were introduced during the presentation and answered procedural questions about the scope and timeline of investments. Council members noted the ordinance’s multi‑year strategic context, including prior council actions to support electrification and grid resilience.
The final roll call was 9‑0 in favor. Council signed the legislation in chambers. Members said the increase, while significant, leaves Seattle’s rates lower than many peers and is necessary to meet sustainability and reliability goals.
What happens next: City Light will implement new schedules and proceed with procurement and grid investments described in the legislative package; the expanded utility discount program will begin implementation with eligibility increases scheduled in the ordinance.
