Spadea Wrap - Puget Sound Energy August 2017

Safety and the environment guide route selection for the Eastside’s electric grid upgrade PSE has selected the final route for Energize Eastside—the first major upgrade to the backbone of the Eastside’s electric transmission grid since the 1960s. The upgrade is necessary to continue providing reliable electricity amid dramatic population and economic growth on the Eastside.

After nearly four years of study and extensive dialogue with Eastside communities, our decision was guided by two key priorities:

Energize Eastside will follow the existing utility corridor PSE has selected the existing corridor “Willow 1” route as the final route to permit for the Energize Eastside project.

The project will: • Build a new substation in the middle of the Eastside.

• Upgrade existing transmission lines.

• Replace existing four wooden poles with one or two steel poles typically in the same or similar locations.

• Continue aggressive conservation efforts.

• Protecting your safety. The upgrade will be built to the highest safety standards and follow the same utility corridor as the existing line.

• Protecting the environment. The route affects the fewest trees and avoids construction of new corridors.

Get all the facts at pse.com/energizeeastside or facebook.com/pseenergizeeastside.

Existing substation New substation Final route

Energize Eastside will bring you reliable electricity for years to come WHAT is Energize Eastside?

WHY upgrade now?

HOW was the final route determined?

WHAT happens next?

The Energize Eastside project will upgrade the backbone of the Eastside’s electric transmission grid—infrastructure that Eastside communities and their residents and businesses rely on every day.

PSE’s last major upgrade to the backbone of the Eastside’s electric grid was in the 1960s. Since then, Eastside population has grown eight-fold and our economy relies on power in ways it did not 50 years ago.

PSE evaluated multiple route options and selected the existing corridor because it is the least impactful route to Eastside communities (see enlarged map on reverse side).

Our decision was guided by two key priorities:

Energize Eastside now moves into the permitting process.

Then construction will take place in two phases to keep the backbone of the existing transmission system online and serving customers.

Energize Eastside will build a new substation, upgrade existing transmission lines, and continue aggressive conservation efforts.

This historic growth has generated a dramatic increase in demand for power, and now the grid is being pushed beyond capacity. Conservation and new energy technologies are essential, but they alone cannot ensure reliable electricity for Eastside communities.

It will follow the existing corridor and be built to keep Eastside lights on for years to come.

Multiple independent studies have made it clear that we need to upgrade the grid’s infrastructure now to avoid plans for power outages in the very near future.

(Population shown in increments of 10,000)

1. Protecting your safety. The project will be built and operated to the highest safety and engineering standards. By using the existing corridor, along with optimized designs and operations, the project is designed to be safe around other infrastructure.

As we move forward, we will continue to reach out to property owners along the existing corridor to discuss their landscaping preferences and identify compatible vegetation to incorporate into these plans.

Get all the facts at pse.com/energizeeastside.

2. Protecting the environment. This route affects the fewest number of trees and avoids the construction of new corridors. When the project is complete, our goal is to have more trees, not less.

Improved by Eastside residents’ input For nearly four years, PSE has shared information about the project with thousands of Eastside residents. This includes an environmental impact statement process led by the City of Bellevue in cooperation with the cities of Kirkland, Newcastle, Redmond and Renton.

Eastside population has grown eight-fold in the last 50 years and will continue to grow significantly in the decades to come.

Energy demand has also grown dramatically since the last upgrade to the grid.

We’ve been listening and learning and—thanks to your feedback—improving the upgrade to best serve Eastside communities.

We will continue to update property owners and the community on Energize Eastside’s progress.