Coverage areas of the Snohomish County PUD, Puget Sound Energy, Seattle City Light

  Snohomish County Public Utility District
Second-largest public utility in the state serves 232,000 homes, 22,500 businesses in Snohomish County and on Camano Island. Power sources: owns no large generators. Buys mostly from the Bonneville Power Administration and other Northwest utilities. Average winter monthly bill (2,000 kwh): $143. Risk of blackouts: depends heavily on resources beyond its control - especially the BPA. So it is dusting off blackout contingency plans.

 Seattle City Light
City-owned utility serves 313,000 homes, 31,000 businesses in Seattle, Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, parts of Burien and Tukwila. Power sources: owns three major dams that provide about 50 percent of its power. Also buys power from Eastern Washington utilities and expects to get more BPA power later this year. Average winter monthly bill (2,000 kwh): $121, soon to increase to about $142. Risk of blackouts: should be OK unless a major generator breaks down or the region experiences a severe cold spell. With a below-average snowpack, managers expect to lose millions buying costly power.

  Puget Sound Energy
Investor-owned Bellevue utility serves 800,000 homes, 120,000 businesses in King County and eight other counties. Power sources: produces less than 25 percent of its own power. Buys power from utilities in Eastern Washington, Montana and elsewhere. Average winter monthly bill (2,000 kwh): $128. Risk of blackouts: PSE says it has contracted for all the power it needs in the short run. But if something else goes wrong, reach for the Coleman lanterns.

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