Mason County PUD No. 3 provides electricity to nearly 35,000 customers in most of Mason County and small portions of Kitsap, Grays Harbor, and Pierce Counties. PUD 3 is headquartered in Shelton, Washington and has an office in Belfair. The PUD has been in business since 1939. PUD 3 owns and operates 11 substations and has over 1,800 miles of overhead and underground lines to serve its customers (1,074 miles underground, 686 miles overhead). The PUD also provides wholesale telecommunications services to its customers through a fiber optic network. • PUD 3 has 115 full-time-equivalent positions. • 2012 adopted budget: $57 million. • 2011 electricity sales were 669,925,701 kWh. • Average load is 80 megawatts. • Peak load is 160 megawatts. Mason County PUD No. 3 is a municipal corporation operating under Washington State Law (RCW 54). Public utility districts were authorized by the first citizens’ initiative in the state. There are 28 public utility districts in the state, providing nearly half of the state’s electricity customers with service.