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Post date: Feb 24, 2014 11:06:30 PM
The Eastside is growing faster than any other region in Washington, and while this underscores how great a place this is to live and work, such robust growth is putting a strain on our region's electric system. In fact, growth studies commissioned by Puget Sound Energy (PSE) calculate that demand for reliable, redundant power will exceed capacity as early as 2017. If capacity isn't somehow increased, PSE warns that the possibility of outages will increase for 60,000 of its customers in our area.
PSE states that conservation alone is not enough to offset the growth of households and businesses in the area and has decided that the solution is to construct electric transmission lines the 18 miles from Redmond to Renton. These transmission lines aren't the same 115 kV distribution lines that we see pass through Somerset on wood poles 30-50 feet tall. Instead, they are 230 kV lines that will be suspended from 95-125 feet tall metal monopoles with spans ranging from 400 feet to 700 feet.
PSE hasn’t yet determined the route these new transmission lines will take, but they have identified potential route segments, shown at route. To help identify these route segments, they took into account over 50 different factors, like geographic barriers, land uses, and impacts on the environment. More specifically, these factors were identified in a PSE document as "opportunities" and "constraints" for routing the transmission line.
So how will the actual route be determined? PSE has created a Community Advisory Group made up of representatives from city jurisdictions and interest groups such as school districts, businesses, and residential organizations to consider the route options and offer a single route recommendation to PSE. PSE will then select the final route. Here’s how YOU can influence the routing decision:
- Send questions and comments to PSE:
- http://www.energizeeastside.com/comment
- energizeeastside@pse.com
- Join the PSE Energize Eastside mailing list: http://www.energizeeastside.com/mailing-list
- Learn about the Community Advisory Group: http://www.energizeeastside.com/community-advisory-group
- Attend Meetings: next meeting for our area will be Central Sub-Area Committee Workshop #1 - 3/26/2014 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m at Hilton Bellevue Hotel, 112th Avenue Southeast, Bellevue, WA (Salon A) (http://www.energizeeastside.com/calendar)
In your comments to PSE and the Community Advisory Group, it would me most effective to tailor your arguments to PSE's framework of opportunities and constraints and how they apply to the routes nearest our neighborhood - I, J, and K2. For example, route I passes by this long list of "constraint" items from PSE’s list and should therefore be a very unattractive route:
- Apartment
- Bank
- Car wash
- Church, welfare, religious service
- Condominium
- Convenience store with gas
- Daycare center
- Gas station
- Grocery store
- Medical/dental office
- Movie theater
- Office building
- Restaurant
- Retail
- School
- Shopping center
- Single family homes
- Vet/animal control service
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