PSE | Sedro 4 Phase A Alger transmission line rebuild

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Hot, dry and windy conditions are forecast for the Kittitas Valley. As part of PSE’s wildfire safe operations, we turned on system settings that are more sensitive to potential hazards.

Enhanced Powerline Settings are designed to help keep you safe, but they can result in unplanned power outages.

This is not a Public Safety Power Shutoff, where we proactively turn off power in advance of severe weather. 

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Puget Sound Energy transmission line and substation projects

Sedro #4, Phase A - Alger transmission line rebuild

2018 project updates

Construction is complete as of early 2018.

Project Overview

To increase electric reliability for customers in northwestern Skagit County, PSE will rebuild the existing transmission and distribution lines between Alger and Belfast. Currently, the local electric system is prone to power outages due to limited capacity and aging infrastructure. The existing poles and conductors 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.

As part of this project, PSE will:

Rebuild approximately 4 miles of an existing 115 kV transmission line by replacing the existing structures with new wood poles and new, higher capacity 115 kV conductors (wires).
Replace approximately 3 miles of existing single-phase distribution line with three-phase tree wire. Upgrading from single-phase to three-phase tree wire will increase both the capacity and the reliability of the system. Tree wire is a specially-coated wire that significantly reduces the frequency of tree-related outages.

In advance of construction, PSE will conduct vegetation management (brush clearing and tree trimming) throughout the existing corridor. This project is part of a larger set of improvements to be implemented over the next few years in the existing transmission line corridor.