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Microsoft Corporation is an equal opportunity employer.
January 3, 2020
Hearing Examiner
c/o City Clerk’s Office
Renton City Hall
1055 S Grady Way
Renton, WA 98057
Re: Energize Eastside permit application # LUA18-000055
Dear Hearing Examiner:
As the Eastside’s largest employer, Microsoft Corporation has thousands of employees working
throughout the Eastside. As such, we are keenly interested in ensuring that adequate public
infrastructure is available to meet the needs of local employers and residents.
In keeping with the values of our employees and the region as a whole, Microsoft is committed to
environmental sustainability. Our operations have been carbon-neutral each year since 2012, and
we plan to reduce carbon emissions 75% in the coming years by maintaining our carbon neutrality
while continuing to invest in energy efficiency and renewable resources.
We rely on community partners like Puget Sound Energy to support both our operations and these
sustainability goals. That is why we join other employers in supporting PSE’s Energize Eastside
project as a vitally important upgrade to our local electrical infrastructure.
We recognize difficulty in siting infrastructure in the built urban environment and appreciate that
PSE has proposed utilizing the existing utility corridor as a way to minimize impacts on local
businesses, residents and environment. We believe that the City of Renton staff who have
reviewed PSE’s plans have been thorough in their analysis, and we commend the multiple
jurisdictions involved for working together to complete the environmental impact statement.
Based on this work, we encourage you to approve the permit and allow PSE to move forward with
its Energize Eastside plans.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide these comments.
Sincerely,
Michael Mattmiller
Government Affairs Director
Microsoft Corporation