The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) named Puget Sound Energy’s Green Power Program as one of the top 10 green-power programs out of 850 in the country in 2010.

“Customers who participate in PSE’s Green Power Program are making a difference by bringing additional sources of renewable energy onto the grid across the Pacific Northwest,” Cal Shirley, PSE vice president of energy efficiency services, said in a press release. “This recognition is a testament to our customers’ and the region’s commitment to the development of local renewable energy.”

PSE’s Green Power Program has been ranked one of the country’s top 10 in renewable energy sales for nine consecutive years by the NREL, and for seven consecutive years for customer participation.

In 2010, PSE sold 314,893 megawatt-hours (MWh) of green power renewable energy, up from 303,046 MWh in 2009 and 291,167 MWh in 2008.

The number of PSE customers enrolled in the program also grew in 2010, reaching 29,398 —28,524 residential customers and 874 business and government customers. That compares with 25,789 participants in 2009 and 21,509 in 2008.

When PSE customers enroll in the Green Power Program, energy they use is matched in the electric grid with electricity from wind, solar, biomass and other renewable energy sources in the Pacific Northwest. None of the renewable energy in PSE’s Green Power Program is generated by PSE; it all comes from other Northwest producers of renewable power.

PSE’s goal is to have 5 percent of its more than 1 million electric customers as green power customers by 2014, compared to 3 percent currently.