Mason PUD 3

Our customers have a lot of great questions about going solar here in Mason County. We compiled this guide to help. In order to better educate our customers on the pros (and cons) of solar power, we created this guide, which has all you need to know about going solar in Mason County. It provides background on system basics, net-metering and connecting to the utility grid. Additional frequently asked questions can be found below. If you have a question that isn't shown here, or in the guide, or need more clarification, give us a call at (360) 426-0777.

This includes remodeling, changing out your electrical panel, or changing the type of electrical service to your property. Before you or your electrician do the work, please fill out an application for altered service. Depending upon the complexity of the job and number of applications we're working on, this may take between two and eight weeks, so plan ahead. You can find a list of PUD 3's Engineering Specifications & Policies and our Service Rules & Regulations in the Document Archives. PUD 3's engineering staff is specially trained to design a safe, legal, and cost-effective plan to connect your new home or business to PUD 3's clean, reliable electric grid.

In 2015, PUD 3 installed Mason County's first shared solar energy project. The 75-kilowatt project is located at PUD 3's Johns Prairie operations center. Approximately 110 PUD customers will be reaping benefits of energy produced by the solar array, a Washington State Production Incentive, and federal tax credits. Nearly 2,900 "solar units" were allocated to customers who had registered to participate and collectively pay for the project. Customers signing up for the program requested nearly twice as many units than were available.

We consider ourselves experts in the renewable energy department here in Mason County. With 300 kilowatts of solar power installed and closely monitored at our Johns Prairie operations center, we're ready to lend a hand to our customers who are interested in generating their own renewable energy. Solar power systems have grown in popularity and efficiency, and have come down in price over the past few years. In order to better educate our customers on the pros (and cons) of solar power, we created this guide, which has all you need to know about going solar in Mason County.

Rural folks formed Public Utility Districts (PUDs) to get what they wanted: electrical service. But PUDs are much more than electricity. They also provide water, sewer and wholesale telecommunications services. All at cost, without profit. In 1929, the Washington State Grange sent the very first initiative to the Legislature, to allow rural communities to form their own publicly owned utilities. This is our story.