The Sierra Club announced it is launching a Coal-Free PSE campaign to push area electric utility Puget Sound Energy stop using coal to supply electricity to consumers in Washington.

The organization says PSE gets more than 30 percent of its Washington electricity from coal.

“The Pacific Northwest is leading the charge in the race for a clean-energy economy with the Beyond Coal campaign’s victories in the retirement of coal-fired power plants TransAlta in Washington and Boardman in Oregon,” Bruce Nilles, senior campaign director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, said in an April 19 press release. “With the launch of our Coal-Free PSE campaign, we urge Puget Sound Energy CEO Kimberly Harris to join thousands of Washington residents in their commitment to end our dependence on dirty coal,”

According to the Sierra Club, the energy utility has been importing coal power from the Colstrip Generating Facility in Montana.

“Colstrip’s pollution has been harming neighboring landowners and ranchers for decades, causing outcries from health professionals,” Anne Hedges, program director for the Montana Environmental Information Center, said. “It is high time that Colstrip’s owners, including the largest owner, Puget Sound Energy, quit putting profits over public health and environmental protection.”

The Coal-Free PSE campaign aims to mobilize Washington ratepayers to demonstrate against coal-fired power plants such as Colstrip.

More information is online at www.coalfreepse.org.