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Skagit grid strengthening and wildfire preparedness projects

Skagit reliability

Crews upgraded poles and crossarms on the Sedro-Woolley 230 kV transmission line near Mount Vernon, Spring 2026.

What PSE is doing in Skagit County

PSE is making targeted electric system upgrades throughout Skagit County to improve reliability and reduce wildfire risk. This work will take place over the next several years, and includes:

  • Rebuilding and upgrading power lines
  • Moving some overhead lines underground
  • Installing “tree wire” (specially coated overhead wire that helps prevent sparks) in some areas
  • Expanding our grid to support growing communities
  • Improving our ability to reroute power during outages

Why it matters

Skagit faces challenges that make power outages more frequent and harder to fix quickly:

  • Storm exposure: Falling trees and severe weather frequently damage power lines.
  • Unprotected infrastructure: Many power lines run above ground and aren't well protected from hazardous weather such as storms, wildfires and other environmental threats. Some overhead power lines are “bare wire” and do not have a protective covering.
  • Geography: Customers are spread across a large area, limiting backup power options when outages occur.

We want to keep the lights on, restore power faster when outages occur, and make sure Skagit is ready for the future. Many of the projects that improve electric reliability also reduce the risk of wildfires.

Upcoming projects 

Upcoming Skagit projects

Currently, most of these projects are in the engineering or permitting phase and plan to start construction in 2027. Schedules could change, depending on the progress of work, permitting, weather, and other factors.

  1. Prairie Road. Underground 1.3 miles of wire between 21994 Prairie Rd and SR-9. (View map)
  2. Campbell Lake Road. Install tree wire between 6155 Campbell Lake Rd. and SR-20. (View map)
  3. Rosario Road near Lake Erie. Install tree wire between Marine Dr. and Heart Lake Rd. (View map)
  4. Rosario Road near Cougar Gap Road. Install 2.25 miles of tree wire between Marine Dr. “Y” and Cougar Gap Rd. (View map)
  5. Samish Island Road. Underground 2.2 miles of wire between Scott Rd. and Bayview-Edison Rd. (View map)
  6. Snee Oosh Road. Underground 0.55 miles of wire on Snee Oosh Rd. at Sunset Dr. to Chilberg Ave., Sunset Dr., Chilberg Ave., Golden View Ave. (View map)
  7. State Route 9. Underground 0.75 miles of wire between 4 Jay Ln. and 19245 SR-9. (View map)

What to expect during construction

You may notice construction activity in and around your neighborhood. Here’s what you can expect:

  • Construction may cause traffic delays or detours. Please follow the detour routes and allow a little extra time to get to your destination.
  • In some cases, we may need to schedule planned outages and will inform impacted customers in advance.
  • Construction schedules could change based on the progress of work and weather conditions. We will keep you updated.
  • We aim to minimize construction impacts as much as possible. Thank you for your patience!

Related project: Bellingham to Sedro-Woolley

PSE has been rebuilding and installing new wires on existing transmission and distribution lines between Bellingham and Sedro-Woolley for many years. Construction work occurs in phases. Please visit this webpage to find out the current status of this project:

Questions?

If you have questions about these Skagit grid strengthening and wildfire prevention projects, please contact:

1-888-404-8773
MajorProjects@pse.com