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Micron earnings beat expectations, Oregon governor’s race deadlocked, Washington’s largest utility proposed 30% rate hike, Gov Ferguson establishes a “Space Council” to keep Washington competitive in commercial space industry, WinCo CEO announces retirement plans.

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PSE new rate hike proposal draws ire at public hearing (WSS)

“Washington’s largest utility is proposing to increase electricity rates by nearly 30%. For more than four hours on Tuesday, members of the public urged state regulators to reject the proposal.

“We’ve replaced just about everything to something more efficient for which I’ve gotten no incentives and no rebates for,” Becky Foster, a PSE ratepayer in Thurston County, said during the four-hour hearing that drew about 100 commenters. “The last two years [the bill] has skyrocketed and we’re paying more than 50% over what we were paying before.” 

She said she’s already paying around $600 a month on energy during the winter months. From 2022 to 2023, Foster said she paid $2,800 on electricity. 

“That’s just the winter months for us now,” Foster said.

Washington’s largest utility is asking regulators to approve an increase in electricity rates by 29.3% and gas rates by 19.8% over the next three years. It’s also asking to increase its allowed return on equity, or profit that shareholders earn on their investment, from 9.9% to 10.8%. 

In contrast with the state’s ambitious climate laws, the utility is also planning to use nearly $1 billion to maintain and build out its gas distribution system. 

Puget Sound Energy’s electricity rates have already increased this year by 18.85%. One after another, members of the public voiced their concerns of affordability. Retired people on fixed incomes, low-income households and those dependent on electronic medical devices are among the most vulnerable to another rate increase.”

As Seattle job losses mount, other WA cities gain workers, report says (ST)

“Seattle lost 18,605 jobs in 2025, or 3% of its total, with much of the loss concentrated in the tech sector, according to a Downtown Seattle Association report published Wednesday.

By contrast, several neighboring cities saw relatively strong job growth last year. 

Bellevue’s employment jumped by 5,375 jobs, or 4%, while Tacoma gained 662 jobs, or around half a percent, according to the report, which is based on data from the Federal Reserve and the Puget Sound Regional Council. Everett saw 442 more jobs, for an increase of around half a percent. 

As Mayor Katie Wilson and the City Council grapple with the city budget, the Downtown Seattle Association, which advocates for downtown businesses, is clearly warning that the city’s economy is too fragile for additional taxes. The budget proposal Wilson released last week did not include major tax increases.

Wednesday’s report from the Downtown Seattle Association notes that employment grew just 1.7% across the broader Seattle metro area from 2019 to 2025, well behind 19 other U.S. metro areas.  

Much of the Seattle region’s anemic performance was due to Seattle. 

The city’s tech sector has contracted dramatically. In 2025, tech employment fell 15%, to 42,344, while it rose 27%, to 27,560, in Bellevue. 

Downtown Seattle has taken the biggest hit, accounting for 13,000 lost jobs, or 70% of the city’s overall decline. 

Downtown Seattle is also lagging other downtowns in inbound commuter foot traffic, and in 2025 was still 38% below prepandemic levels.”

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