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About Jorge Carrasco
When former Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels appointed Jorge Carrasco to lead Seattle City Light in late 2003, the utility ranked 11th in customer service among medium-sized Western U.S. utilities, according to a J.D. Power and Associates annual survey. Under Mr. Carrasco’s guidance, Seattle City Light has risen to fourth in customer service. Hired to reduce debt, increase financial stability, build cash reserves, and ensure affordable rates, Jorge Carrasco has boosted ratepayer satisfaction through a variety of efforts over the past seven years. During the initial five years of Jorge Carrasco’s administration, charges for electrical services to Seattle City Light residential customers declined 12%. Rates fell 8.4% in 2007 alone, the biggest reduction the city’s ratepayers had seen in 35 years. The management team under Mr. Carrasco’s direction retired the organization’s short-term debt entirely, and long-term debt by close to $300 million. These debt retirements, totaling $550 million, lowered Seattle City Light’s debt-to-capitalization ratio from 85 to 62%, which nearly reached the company’s ultimate goal of 60%. The company has borrowed no further money since 2004, and in 2005 Jorge Carrasco spearheaded the establishment of an emergency cash reserve fund of $25 million. Superintendent Carrasco pursued an aggressive hiring policy to fill vacancies in the organization with skilled professionals, and by the close of 2007, Seattle City Light had cut its vacancy rate by almost two-thirds, from 14% to 5%. Seattle City Light has had an unwavering commitment to green policies under the leadership of Jorge Carrasco. Seattle City Light has been greenhouse neutral since 2005, making it the first and only electrical utility in the United States to attain that goal. To support the health and survival of fish and wildlife, Mr. Carrasco assisted the organization in adding habitat protection along the Skagit River. Customers of Seattle City Light have enthusiastically participated in conservation efforts directed by Jorge Carrasco, reducing their own bills by $53 million in 2009. Jorge Carrasco came to Seattle following executive positions with American Water Services, the East Bay Municipal Utility District in the Bay Area, and the Cities of Scottsdale, Arizona, and Austin, Texas. He enjoys running, hiking, and attending the theater in his free time.
Jorge Carrasco's Companies
Jorge Carrasco's Publications
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Trends in U.S. Wind Energy, By Jorge Carrasco
April, 2012
Based in Seattle since 2004, I serve as Superintendent of Seattle City Light, the region’s leading consumer-owned electric utility. I have maintained an interest in environmental issues for years, with a particular focus on sustainability through renewable energy.
Given the extensive interest wind energy has generated in the past decade, I am interested in whether the recent growth in wind energy can be sustained. A report released by the U.S. Department of Energy in August of 2010 indicates a significant upward trend in wind power investment. In 2009 alone, new wind capacity totaling 10 gigawatts was installed, at a total investment of $21 billion. This represented nearly 40 percent of all new U.S. electric generating capacity for the year.
One current industry question is whether Congress will extend the wind energy production tax credit, which has made many large scale projects feasible in the past several years.
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The Rule of Thirds by Jorge Carrasco
, Jorge Carrasco's Blog on Bigsight
May, 2012
In the world of photography, composition is everything. Whether you are capturing images of your loved ones on vacation, stunning landscapes, architecture, or the family pet, amateur photographer Jorge Carrasco endorses the classic “rule of thirds” approach to framing your subject.
The rule of thirds proposes that the photographer’s frame is sliced into three equal parts both vertically and horizontally. If you were to slice up a rectangle in this fashion, you would end up with nine equal rectangles arranged in a three-by-three grid. The corners of the grid are called interest points and these are the spots most professional photographers prefer to place their subjects in the frame.
Traditionally, photos that adhere to the rule of thirds are considered more balanced and aesthetically pleasing, but photography is not just a by-the-numbers process. Photography incorporates both artistic expression and technical expertise, so the rule of thirds is not a law that cannot be broken but a guide and a good starting point for creating a great photograph.
Jorge Carrasco is Superintendent of Seattle City Light, the largest consumer-owned electric utility in the northwestern United States. In addition to photography, he counts running, hiking, and sailing among his hobbies.
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Jorge Carrasco on Policy for Climate Change
, Jorge Carrasco's Blog on Bigsight
May, 2012
In recent years, extreme weather events have been occurring more often. Residents are directly affected when highways become submerged in water, forests burn due to drought, and insect infestations increase. Extreme weather also impacts businesses when it threatens power sources, such as the snowpack that feeds Seattle’s hydroelectric system.
In 2010, I coauthored an editorial opinion article that appeared in The Seattle Times. In the article, my collaborator and I argued that the U.S. federal government needs to establish a national policy to respond to climate change. Seattle City Light has already taken steps to address these issues, becoming the first utility company in the U.S. to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to zero in 2005. However, we believe that local and state legislation alone cannot bring about larger change in this regard. The United States risks falling behind other developed nations such as Japan and European countries in crafting environmental policies that address climate concerns. It also loses opportunities to promote investments in technologies designed to address this important policy priority, especially investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and integration of intermittent energy sources.
About Jorge Carrasco: Mr. Carrasco became Superintendent of Seattle City Light, a publicly owned electricity provider, in 2004. Like several officials in the electric power industry, he is concerned about the sources of energy as well as the impact of energy consumption. Mr. Carrasco actively participates in industry organizations such as the American Public Power Association and the Electric Power Research Institute.
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