Puget Sound Energy Sedro #4 Transmission Line and Substation Upgrade

Fire Weather Forecasted

Due to current weather forecasts a Red Flag Warning has been issued in Kittitas County. As part of PSE’s wildfire safe operations, we are turning on system settings that are more sensitive to potential hazards. These settings will stay in place as long as high wildfire risk conditions are present. 

Enhanced Powerline Settings are designed to help keep you safe, but they may result in unplanned power outages. This is not a Public Safety Power Shutoff, where we proactively turn off power in advance of severe weather.

For more information or to report a power outage, visit PSE’s Outage map.

Sedro #4 transmission line and substation upgrade

Phase B - Belfast transmission line

Phase C - Samish Lake to Alger transmission line

2019 project updates

Phase C is expected to begin construction in 2019. Prior to construction, vegetation and trees were trimmed in fall 2018.
Phase B construction is complete. (2018)

Project overview

To increase electric reliability for customers in Skagit and Whatcom counties, PSE is rebuilding and reconductoring approximately 25 miles of existing transmission and distribution lines between Bellingham and Sedro Woolley.

Currently, the local electric system is prone to power outages due to limited capacity and aging infrastructure. The existing poles and conductors (wires) were built in the early 1960s and need to be replaced. Rebuilding these transmission and distribution lines with new, higher capacity wire and replacing the poles will strengthen the current system and reduce the frequency of outages for our customers in the area.

This overall project is broken into five phases

All phases of this project include replacing the existing structures with new wood poles and new, higher capacity 115 kV transmission wire and also replacing distribution wire as needed.

Phase A: between Alger and Belfast (4 miles). (completed 2017)
Phase B: Prairie Rd near Belfast to the Norlum substation in Sedro Woolley (7.5 miles). (completed in 2018)
Phase C: Samish Lake Park to Alger (6 miles).
Phase D: Bellingham substation to Samish Lake Park (6 miles).
Phase E: Norlum substation to Sedro Woolley substation (1.5 miles).