Puget Sound Energy fined for Selling Customer Data

USA -- Puget Sound Energy (PSE) has been fined nearly $1 million for illegally selling customer information to a telemarketing firm.

In an announced settlement PSE officials acknowledged that the privately owned utility transferred more than 65,000 customer phone calls to an outside marketing company.

In addition to the penalty the settlement requires that PSE notify its customers of its misconduct and the penalties.

The utility is the Washington state's largest electricity and natural-gas utility providing electricity service to more than a million homes and businesses in nine counties. They also supply natural gas to over 700,000 consumers in six counties.