Tacoma Public Utilities

What Tacoma Public Utilities does

Tacoma Public Utilities is a municipally owned utility operating three core divisions — Tacoma Power (electric generation, transmission, and distribution), Tacoma Water (drinking water supply and treatment), and Tacoma Rail (industrial freight-switching railroad) — under the governance of a five-member Public Utility Board appointed by the Tacoma City Council. The utility serves more than 190,000 electric customers across Tacoma and Pierce County, more than 316,000 water customers across Tacoma, University Place, Ruston, and parts of Pierce and south King counties, and provides wholesale water to regional partners including Auburn, Bonney Lake, Fife, Puyallup, Kent, Covington, Lakehaven, and the Cascade Water Alliance. Tacoma Power is differentiated by ownership of hydroelectric generation assets combined with a long-term Bonneville Power Administration contract, while Tacoma Water relies on the 231-square-mile Green River Watershed, a multi-stage Green River Filtration Facility completed in 2015, and 24 groundwater wells capable of producing up to 40 million gallons per day. Tacoma Rail is uniquely positioned as the only municipally owned short-line railroad in the United States.

The utility's technical platform is anchored by an Advanced Metering Infrastructure deployment, an Esri ArcGIS Utility Network implemented with TRC Companies, a proprietary Water Supply Indicator System developed in-house, and a digital twin platform at Alder Dam developed in partnership with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Distribution is direct-to-customer through owned infrastructure, with customer interaction handled via the MyAccount online portal, a contact center, and walk-in service at the Tacoma headquarters (currently undergoing lobby modernization). The commercial offering extends beyond core utility service into clean energy programs (Evergreen Options, Community Solar, Solar Net Metering), EV charging rebates and public charging infrastructure, conservation incentives for residential and commercial customers, electrical permitting and inspections, and recreational management of reservoir-area parks. Revenue is generated through monthly, rate-regulated subscription charges approved by the Public Utility Board and City Council; the commercial model is hybrid with primary residential and commercial customer segments and a secondary wholesale/regional-partner segment served through long-dated utility agreements.

Tacoma Public Utilities has no private equity or outside institutional ownership and does not trade publicly. The parent is the City of Tacoma, and strategic expansion is constrained to the utility's regulated franchise geography, with the most material growth lever being the Cascade Water Alliance transition over the next 15 years.

Name

Tacoma Public Utilities

Legal name

Tacoma Public Utilities

Website

https://mytpu.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1913

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Tacoma Public Utilities is a City of Tacoma-owned municipal utility operating Tacoma Power (electric), Tacoma Water (drinking water), and Tacoma Rail (the nation's only municipally owned short-line freight railroad), serving over 190,000 electric and 316,000 water customers across Tacoma, Pierce County, and regional wholesale partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Utility Services

NAICS

Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112), Hydroelectric Power Generation (221111), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Electric Services (4911), Water Supply (4941), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Railroads, Line-Haul Operating (4011)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Power Districts & State/Provincial Utilities (EUADABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Raw Water Conveyance & Transmission (Aqueducts, Mains, Pumping Stations) (EUANAAAB), Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG), Reservoir/Impoundment Hydroelectric Generation (EUACAEAB)

Keywords

• Municipal utility services
• Electric power distribution
• Drinking water supply
• Freight rail services
• Public utility infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Tacoma

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Electric Utility Services (Tacoma Power): Tacoma Power provides electricity generation, transmission, and distribution services. Revenue is generated through customer electricity rates and power sales. The utility benefits from owning hydroelectric generation assets and its Bonneville Power Administration contract.
2. Water Utility Services (Tacoma Water): Tacoma Water supplies drinking water to over 316,000 people across multiple jurisdictions. Revenue comes from residential and commercial water rates. Includes wholesale water service to partner cities including Auburn, Bonney Lake, Fife, Puyallup, and parts of Pierce and King counties.
3. Tacoma Rail: Industrial freight-switching railroad services. Tacoma Rail is described as the only municipally owned short-line railroad in the nation.
4. Fleet Management Services: Used GPS Insight fleet management technology to reduce insurance costs and improve fleet operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Tacoma Public Utilities is a community-owned municipal utility that delivers electricity, drinking water, and short-line freight rail services. Its operating divisions — Tacoma Power (generation, transmission and distribution of electricity from owned hydroelectric and other assets), Tacoma Water (drinking water supply from the Green River watershed and groundwater wells) and Tacoma Rail (industrial freight switching) — serve residential, commercial, and wholesale customers across the Tacoma, Washington region.

Product overview

Tacoma Public Utilities operates as a community-owned municipal utility providing essential services through three core divisions: Tacoma Power (electricity), Tacoma Water (water supply), and Tacoma Rail (freight railroad). Supporting infrastructure includes Advanced Meters for grid modernization, the MyAccount customer portal for account management, and various clean energy programs including Evergreen Options, Community Solar, and EV charging initiatives. Conservation and efficiency programs serve both residential and commercial customers, while permitting and inspection services support regional development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Evergreen Options Program: A renewable energy program allowing customers to support clean energy
• Community Solar
• MyAccount
• Green River Filtration Facility
• Advanced Meters

Products and services

• Tacoma Power Vertically integrated electric utility service — generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity to residential, commercial, and wholesale customers within the Tacoma service territory. Generation includes owned hydroelectric and other assets; distribution is delivered over TPU-owned poles and wires.
• Tacoma Water Drinking water service drawing from the Green River watershed and groundwater wells, treating and delivering potable water to approximately 316,000 customers in Tacoma, Pierce County, parts of South King County, and neighboring jurisdictions, including on a wholesale basis to partner utilities.
• Tacoma Rail Industrial freight-switching and short-line rail service operating as one of the largest municipally-owned short-line railroads in the United States, serving on-site industrial customers and providing Class III switching interchange to Class I rail networks.
• Evergreen Options Program Optional subscription program that allows Tacoma Power customers to support renewable energy above the utility's standard mix for a small additional fee on their monthly bill.
• Community Solar Subscription-based community solar program that lets customers receive credit on their bill for their share of electricity generated from a shared solar installation, without requiring rooftop panels of their own.
• Solar and Net Metering Service enabling Tacoma Power customers with qualifying rooftop solar systems to interconnect to the grid and receive bill credits for excess electricity exported under the utility's net-metering tariff.
• Residential EV Charging Rebate Rebate program that provides Tacoma Power residential customers with incentives toward purchase and installation of qualifying Level 2 home EV chargers.
• Community EV Charging Rebate Rebate program that supports deployment of publicly accessible Level 2 and DC fast EV chargers at qualifying community sites such as workplaces, multifamily housing, and public locations within the service territory.
• Public EV Charging Public-access electric vehicle charging stations installed and operated by Tacoma Public Utilities within the service territory for use by EV drivers.
• Conservation Programs and Rebates Rebates, incentives, and technical services from Tacoma Power and Tacoma Water that help residential and business customers reduce electricity and water use through efficiency upgrades, weatherization, and water-saving fixtures.
• Payment Assistance Programs Bill-payment assistance, discount, and hardship programs that help qualifying Tacoma Public Utilities customers maintain essential electricity and water service during financial difficulty.
• Electrical Permitting and Inspections Electrical permitting and inspection services for new, modified, and temporary electrical installations within TPU's service territory, supporting safe electrical work and code compliance.
• Parks and Recreation at TPU Facilities Public recreation opportunities at TPU-owned facilities, including parks and shoreline access at Mayfield Dam/Cowlitz Falls Park, Cushman Falls Recreation Area, and other utility-managed lands.
• Fish, Wildlife and Environment Programs Environmental stewardship programs operated by Tacoma Public Utilities, including fish hatchery operations, habitat protection, watershed restoration, and species-conservation work associated with utility operations.
• Wholesale Water Supply Program Wholesale treated-water supply service through which Tacoma Water sells drinking water on a contract basis to neighboring utilities and municipal water systems (such as the City of Lakewood and other regional partners).

Quantifiable outcome

• Water supply meeting all federal drinking water standards
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Cascade Water AllianceflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2026Eastside cities united as the Cascade Water Alliance are switching their water supply from Seattle to Tacoma Public Utilities over concerns about Seattle's investment and maintenance. The transition will take 15 years. This historic agreement provides benefits to water customers across the region. TPU serves as the primary water supplier for these partner communities.
• TRC (TRC Companies)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 23 January 2026Tacoma Power partnered with TRC to implement and integrate the Esri ArcGIS Utility Network, replacing an end-of-life legacy GIS platform. The modernization addresses risks of system disruption, improves data quality and cross-departmental data sharing, and enables integration with advanced metering infrastructure, outage management, and real-time analytics.
• Metropolitan Development CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Metropolitan Development Council won the 2025 Evergreen Options Grant through Tacoma Public Utilities' program, demonstrating community partnership for local impact initiatives.
• Parks Tacoma and City of Tacoma Public Works DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership for bottle filling station locations. Parks Tacoma owns and operates the stations providing regular maintenance and filter replacements, symbolizing commitment to supplying the community with clean, reliable drinking water.
• Central Puget Sound Water Supply ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Regional partnership including Tacoma Water, Seattle Public Utilities, City of Everett, Cascade Water Alliance, and regional water associations from Pierce, King and Snohomish counties. The Forum worked to identify and understand potential challenges to the region's water supplies along with mitigation strategies for earthquake, water quality issues, drought and climate change.
• U.S. Army Corps of EngineerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partnership for Howard Hanson Dam operations and water storage management. The Corps prepares to release water behind Howard Hanson Dam for flood control operations and manages water flows for salmon habitat protection.
• City of EverettcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Regional water supply partnership activated during 2015 drought conditions. Everett, Seattle and Tacoma worked together to manage water supplies for people and fish, coordinating water shortage response plans and voluntary water use reduction requests.
• Seattle Public UtilitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Regional water supply partnership during 2015 drought. Seattle, Everett and Tacoma coordinated water shortage response plans, with the three cities serving close to half the state's population.
• City of KentflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002Partnership agreement formed in 2002 through the Regional Water Supply System (RWSS). City of Kent is one of the founding regional partners for water supply development and storage, with the Second Supply Project enabling water storage during spring for use during dry months.
• Covington Water DistrictflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002Partnership agreement formed in 2002 through the Regional Water Supply System (RWSS). Covington Water District is a founding regional partner for water supply development, with the partnership enabling up to 65 million gallons per day supply capacity.
• Lakehaven Water and Sewer DistrictflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002Partnership agreement formed in 2002 through the Regional Water Supply System (RWSS). Lakehaven Water and Sewer District is a founding regional partner, with the RWSS supplying up to 65 million gallons per day to the four partner utilities.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Seattle City Light: Seattle City Light is a municipally owned electric utility serving Seattle, making it the closest structural peer to Tacoma Power — both are public-power utilities operating in the Puget Sound region with similar regulatory and operational characteristics.
• Seattle Public Utilities: Seattle Public Utilities is the regional water/wastewater provider in Seattle and a direct peer to Tacoma Water, with overlapping service geography in the Puget Sound region and shared involvement in the Central Puget Sound Water Supply Forum.
• Eugene Water & Electric Board: Eugene Water & Electric Board is a customer-owned municipal utility providing electric, water, and broadband services — a near-exact structural analog to Tacoma Public Utilities' multi-service municipal model.
• Snohomish County PUD: Snohomish County PUD is a Washington public utility district providing electric and water services in Snohomish County — directly comparable in governance structure (PUD), service mix, and Pacific Northwest hydropower exposure.
• Chelan County PUD: Chelan County PUD operates Rock Island and Lake Chelan hydroelectric dams and distributes power in north-central Washington, sharing the Washington PUD hydropower-ownership model that underpins Tacoma Power's economics.
• Clark Public Utilities: Clark Public Utilities is a Washington PUD serving southwest Washington with electric, water, and broadband services — another direct multi-service public utility peer in the Pacific Northwest.

Broad incumbents

• Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD): SMUD is one of the largest community-owned electric utilities in the U.S., offering a broader-scale analog of TPU's customer-owned electric model with comparable decarbonization and customer-program portfolios.
• Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP): LADWP is the largest municipally owned electric and water utility in the U.S. and a broader-scale structural peer for both Tacoma Power and Tacoma Water — sharing the multi-utility municipal ownership model.
• Salt River Project: Salt River Project is one of the largest public power and water utilities in the southwestern U.S., comparable to Tacoma Public Utilities as a multi-utility public power and irrigation district with significant hydroelectric assets.

Others

• Bonneville Power Administration: BPA is Tacoma Power's wholesale supplier and a direct counterparty under its long-term power contract — a critical ecosystem participant rather than a competitor, but a key structural peer for understanding TPU's cost-of-power economics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tacoma Public Utilities