Bellevue-based Puget Sound Energy has agreed to limit its greenhouse gas emissions by joining the Chicago Climate Exchange, the company said.

The local utility company joins hundreds of corporations, organizations, states, counties and cities that have signed legally binding agreements promising to limit their emissions by 2010. King County also is a member.

The Chicago Climate Exchange, or CCX, is regulated by the NASD, the world's largest private body that regulates financial services. Polluters, clean-energy companies and everyone in between use the exchange to trade carbon offsets and allowances similar to stocks in the stock market.

PSE is a subsidiary of Puget Energy, a Fortune 1000 company.