Puget Sound Energy substation project
Laurel substation
Winter 2009 project completed
- PSE completed the $4 million installation and construction of the new Laurel substation in Whatcom County
- The new substation came online on Feb. 4, 2009
Project Overview
Puget Sound Energy has upgraded our electric system in the Bellingham area to meet customers' current and future needs and increase reliability. We built a new electric distribution substation at 5163 Guide Meridian Road in Bellingham to meet increased demand for electricity in the Cordatta Parkway area. The current substation serving this area was at maximum capacity and was expected to exceed capacity as early as 2009.
The project included clearing and grading the substation site, constructing a 25 Megavolt Amperes substation and installing new 115 kilovolt transmission lines to serve the substation. The new substation was designed to double the capacity within its existing footprint in the future. The Laurel substation gives the area long-term capacity and reliability, and reduces future power outages.
What is a substation?
Substations are critical links in the electricity distribution system, containing utility circuit protection, voltage regulation, and equipment that steps down higher voltage to lower voltage. Before reaching homes and businesses, power is routed through our transmission system to a substation where it is changed to a lower voltage that can be utilized by customers.
Download information
Download these PDF files for more detail on PSE's Laurel substation project.
Press Release (02/05/09)
Construction notice, July 2008 (72 KB PDF)
Project map (599 KB PDF)
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