Advisory group makes final route recommendation for Energize Eastside upgrade

The Community Advisory Group working on Puget Sound Energy’s Energize Eastside transmission line upgrade project has made their final route recommendation.

December 12, 2014 5:24 pm

The following is a release from PSE:

The Community Advisory Group working on Puget Sound Energy’s Energize Eastside transmission line upgrade project has made their final route recommendation.

The panel – comprised of neighborhood, business and civic leaders – selected routes Oak and Willow at their final meeting Dec. 11. The final recommendation by the advisory group is based on its work over the last year, including discussion of community feedback collected throughout 2014.

Of the 20 advisory group members and residential alternates present at the meeting, 17 supported the final recommendation. Of those 17, eight expressed preference for the Oak route and rive expressed preference for the Willow route, while four supported either route. Three advisory group members had a dissenting opinion and supported none of the routes.

These are the final recommended routes that now move on to PSE for an even more thorough review:

• Oak (Segments A-C-E-G2-I-K2-M-N)

• Willow (Segments A-C-E-J-M-N)

Visit the interactive map on the Energize Eastside project website to view these routes and the others that have been evaluated.

PSE will ultimately make an announcement about routing after reviewing the Community Advisory Group’s recommendation, larger public feedback, and opportunities and constraints surrounding the project. That decision is expected in early 2015.

Also during the coming months, PSE will work directly with property owners and tenants to begin detailed fieldwork to inform the route alignment, project design, the environmental review process, and permit applications; ask for community input on project design, which may include pole location, height, finish and other design considerations; and work with the City of Bellevue and other affected jurisdictions and agencies on the project’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process.

PSE initially identified 18 potential route options for the new, higher-capacity electric transmission lines that will stretch 18 miles between Redmond and Renton, along with the construction of a new substation.