Peninsula Light Company
Peninsula Light Company is a member-owned electric and water cooperative serving approximately 35,000 homes and businesses across a 112-square-mile territory in Western Pierce County, Washington, powered primarily by carbon-free Bonneville hydroelectric supply.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1925
- HeadquartersGig Harbor, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Peninsula Light Company does
Peninsula Light Company (PenLight) is a member-owned electric cooperative founded in July 1925 and headquartered in Gig Harbor, Washington. It distributes electricity to approximately 32,000–35,000 homes and businesses across 112 square miles of Western Pierce County — including Gig Harbor, the Key Peninsula, Herron Island, Raft Island, Fox Island and parts of Olalla — and also provides retail water service to 3,000–3,400+ consumers. The cooperative is governed by a nine-member, democratically elected Board of Directors with each membership holding one vote, and is described as the second-largest electric cooperative in the Northwest / Washington state.
Peninsula Light Company firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Peninsula Light Company
- Legal name
- Peninsula Light Company
- Website
- https://penlight.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1925
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Peninsula Light Company is a member-owned electric and water cooperative serving approximately 35,000 homes and businesses across a 112-square-mile territory in Western Pierce County, Washington, powered primarily by carbon-free Bonneville hydroelectric supply.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Peninsula Light Company is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gig Harbor
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Peninsula Light Company business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Retail Electric Sales: Core revenue stream from member electricity consumption billed under PenLight's rate schedule. 2025 rate adjustment added 4% to usage rates plus $7 to the monthly electric base charge (effective April 1, 2025) following BPA wholesale rate pressure; average member bill ~$104/month; rates among the lowest in the region.
- Water Service Capital Surcharge: Water System Capital Expenditure Surcharge funding water infrastructure investments for the 3,000+ water consumer base.
- Water Service Fees: Retail water service to 3,000+ consumers; rates and capital surcharges covering operating and infrastructure costs.
- Net Metering Settlement: Bill credits issued to members for excess electricity exported to the grid from member-owned solar PV systems; valued at the same rate as consumption charges.
- Engineering Services: Engineering services offered alongside core electric and water distribution, supporting member interconnection and infrastructure projects.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Monthly | Standard electric rate (post-April 2025 adjustment) |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | PrePay (Pay-as-you-go) |
| Subscription | Monthly | AutoPay |
| Subscription | Monthly | Budget Billing |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Automated Pay-By-Phone |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Drive-Up Window & Drop Box |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Peninsula Light Company product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Peninsula Light Company distributes retail electricity to more than 32,000 member homes and businesses across an exclusive 112-square-mile service territory in Gig Harbor, the Key Peninsula, Fox Island, Herron Island, Raft Island and parts of Olalla, Washington, and provides retail drinking water service to 3,000+ additional members. It operates an 8-substation, 33-feeder distribution grid with 1,006+ miles of line, Advanced Metering Infrastructure feeding the SmartHub member portal, net-metering for member solar, and the SafetyFirst Mode wildfire prevention protocol; supplemental engineering services support member interconnection and infrastructure projects.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SmartHub: PenLight's web portal and mobile application that allows members to manage their accounts, view bills, make payments, receive alerts, access paperless billing, and track energy usage.
- Project Help
- PenLight Water Department
- Lights Newsletter
Products and services
- Retail Electric Distribution Service
- Retail Water Service
- Solar Net Metering
- SmartHub Member Portal and Mobile App
- Engineering Services
- PrePay (Pay-as-you-go) Electric Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Average monthly bill ~$104 vs. national average daily electricity cost ~$4.57; rates below Washington $0.12/kWh average
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Peninsula Light Company
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Peninsula Light Company technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature5 records
Peninsula Light Company partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)flagshipPrimary wholesale power supplier and grid partner. PenLight signed a long-term power supply contract with BPA announced November 22, 2025, securing continued carbon-free supply (~95% of delivered energy). BPA transmits via high-voltage lines that step down at PenLight's 8 substations; 2025 BPA rate pressure drove PenLight's 4% retail rate increase plus $7 base charge.
- National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)coreAdministers PenLight's Retirement Security (defined benefit pension) and 401(k) plans. NRECA represents 900+ electric providers; underpins benefits, training, and cooperative governance frameworks referenced across PenLight materials.
- Harvest Wind Project partners (Eugene Water and Electric Board, Cowlitz PUD, Lakeview Light & Power)minor2005 Klickitat County wind project co-developed by PenLight and three partner utilities; celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2019. Renewable energy credits from Harvest Wind and other regional wind projects are used to meet Washington's Energy Independence Act (I-937) renewable requirements.
- Comfort Ready Home (Bonneville Power Administration partnership)minorPenLight participates in the Comfort Ready Home program — a partnership between utilities and BPA to drive residential weatherization, HVAC, and water-heating upgrades; PenLight provides incentives and connects members with licensed contractors.
- Survey & Ballot Systems (SBS)coreIndependent election administrator that mails, receives, and tallies PenLight Board of Directors election ballots on the cooperative's behalf (e.g., 2022 election). SBS provides transparent and secure election management services for member-based organizations.
- Pierce County ALERT (PC Alert)minorPierce County emergency-notification service promoted by PenLight to members for signing up to receive alerts about emergencies affecting home, work and school locations.
- KitsapALERT (Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management)minorFree community warning system referenced by PenLight in member safety communications for Fox Island and surrounding Kitsap County-adjacent service areas.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Peninsula Light Company competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Eugene Water and Electric Board: EWEB is a customer-owned electric and water utility in Eugene, Oregon — another Harvest Wind co-developer and structural peer offering integrated electric + water distribution to members in the Pacific Northwest.
- Clark Public Utilities: Clark Public Utilities is a customer-owned electric and water utility in Vancouver, WA — structurally the closest peer to PenLight: a Pacific Northwest cooperative-style utility offering both electric distribution and water service to roughly the same order of magnitude of customers.
- Cowlitz PUD: Cowlitz County PUD is a Washington PUD that co-developed the Harvest Wind Project with PenLight in 2005. A direct peer in size and cooperative governance model, also purchasing BPA power for distribution to Pacific Northwest members.
- Lakeview Light & Power: Lakeview Light & Power is a small Pacific Northwest electric utility that co-developed the Harvest Wind Project with PenLight. A close peer in scale, cooperative governance, and renewable portfolio composition.
Broad incumbents
- Puget Sound Energy: Puget Sound Energy is the largest investor-owned utility in Washington, serving electricity and natural gas across Western Washington including the Gig Harbor region where PenLight operates. Comparable end-customer services (billing, outage management, EV/solar programs) but at much larger scale and IOU rather than cooperative.
- Snohomish County PUD: Snohomish County PUD No. 1 is the largest PUD in Washington, providing electric and water service across Snohomish County. Comparable cooperative-style governance, Pacific Northwest hydroelectric wholesale mix, and integrated water/electric operations.
- Seattle City Light: Seattle City Light is a municipally-owned electric utility in Washington State with a similarly carbon-light hydroelectric supply profile and member-rate focus. Both utilities compete on residential rate levels in the Puget Sound region and offer comparable end-customer programs.
Regional players
- Benton PUD: Benton PUD is a Washington PUD providing electric service in the Tri-Cities region. Comparable customer-owned utility model and BPA-supplied power, with similar kWh-rate focus on residential and commercial member-owners in the Pacific Northwest.
- Mason County PUD 3: Mason County PUD 3 serves the Belfair area immediately adjacent to PenLight's Key Peninsula footprint, with comparable rural/suburban residential mix and BPA-sourced hydroelectric supply. Strongest geographic-adjacent peer.
- Tacoma Power: Tacoma Public Utilities is the municipally-owned electric and water utility serving Tacoma, WA — directly adjacent to PenLight's service territory and the original transmission-line builder whose 1924 line prompted PenLight's founding. Comparable customer-mix and Pacific Northwest hydroelectric supply mix.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Peninsula Light Company social profiles
Digital presencePeninsula Light Company financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Peninsula Light Company leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Peninsula Light Company subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Peninsula Light Company funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Peninsula Light Company M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Peninsula Light Company
What does Peninsula Light Company do?
Peninsula Light Company distributes retail electricity to more than 32,000 member homes and businesses across an exclusive 112-square-mile service territory in Gig Harbor, the Key Peninsula, Fox Island, Herron Island, Raft Island and parts of Olalla, Washington, and provides retail drinking water service to 3,000+ additional members. It operates an 8-substation, 33-feeder distribution grid with 1,006+ miles of line, Advanced Metering Infrastructure feeding the SmartHub member portal, net-metering for member solar, and the SafetyFirst Mode wildfire prevention protocol; supplemental engineering services support member interconnection and infrastructure projects.
Is Peninsula Light Company a public or private company?
Peninsula Light Company is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Peninsula Light Company founded?
Peninsula Light Company was founded in 1925. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Peninsula Light Company based?
Peninsula Light Company is headquartered in Gig Harbor, United States, in the North America region.
How does Peninsula Light Company make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Retail Electric Sales are the primary driver. The others are water Service Capital Surcharge, water Service Fees, net Metering Settlement and engineering Services.
Who are Peninsula Light Company's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Eugene Water and Electric Board, Clark Public Utilities, Cowlitz PUD and Lakeview Light & Power. Broad incumbents are Puget Sound Energy, Snohomish County PUD and Seattle City Light. Regional players are Benton PUD, Mason County PUD 3 and Tacoma Power.
Does Peninsula Light Company have an API?
No public API is recorded for Peninsula Light Company.