Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that Lumen, formerly CenturyLink, will pay a total of $825,000 to 1,099 Washington telephone customers it disconnected during the pandemic in violation of the emergency health and safety moratorium. The payment resolves two separate investigations by Ferguson’s Public Counsel Unit and his Consumer Protection Division.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s Public Counsel Unit is challenging rate increases proposed by Puget Sound Energy (PSE) and Avista Corporation in testimony filed with the Utilities & Transportation Commission (UTC).
Attorney General Bob Ferguson issued a proposal that calls on the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) to, among other protections, ban utility late fees and utility service disconnections until at least April 30, 2021. These protections ensure vulnerable Washingtonians don’t lose the services they need to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic and the related economic crisis.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson wants to hear from Washingtonians impacted by last month’s statewide 911 outage.
SEATTLE — As a result of Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s lawsuit, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has provided hundreds of pages of communications not previously made public, including documents that show commissioners privately considered a proposal that would have subsidized coal- and nuclear-based power. FERC must pay $23,500 in attorney costs and fees to the Washington State Attorney General’s Office.
OLYMPIA — In today’s closing arguments for the environmental review of a proposed crude oil terminal in Vancouver, Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s Counsel for the Environment will announce its opposition to the project.
SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s Public Counsel Unit today challenged PacifiCorp’s proposed $20 million electricity rate increase over two years, and instead recommended the utility’s rates be reduced as much as $4.5 million. Public Counsel believes the increase for residential customers is unsupported by the evidence. 
“I’m deeply disappointed the UTC has accepted this inadequate settlement. CenturyLink’s error denied 911 service to millions of Washingtonians.  
SEATTLE — Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson urges the Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) to reject a proposed settlement and impose the maximum regulatory penalty of $11.5 million on CenturyLink for a six-hour 911 outage that left the entire state without critical 911 services. The UTC will hold a hearing on Jan. 12 to consider penalties for the telecommunications company.
SEATTLE — The Attorney General’s Office has challenged Avista Corp.’s request to raise rates for its utility customers, instead recommending a reduction for electric rates.

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