Energize Eastside

Visit PSE’s project webpage

What: Upgrade two miles of existing 115kV transmission line with 230kV transmission line in existing Puget Sound Energy transmission corridor from the Sammamish Substation on Willows Road to NE 60th Street at the Redmond/Bellevue border. The full project will run from Redmond to Renton.

Project Status: Approved.
This project has been reviewed and approved by the City’s Hearing Examiner, a private, non-partisan land use attorney. 

Permit Application Review: The project included both a Site Plan Entitlement and Conditional Use Permit, which means this project has been through full project review and processed per the Redmond Zoning Code criteria. All permit requirements were met. 

Environmental Review: This project completed a full environmental review. The City of Bellevue was the lead agency working in partnership with the Cities of Redmond, Kirkland, Newcastle, and Renton, per the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) which states that the city with the majority of the project takes the lead on environmental review. Environmental impacts were disclosed were deemed to be significant, triggering an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate and address those impacts.

The project exceeds the City’s 35% tree retention requirements, retaining approximately half of the significant trees within the project area. All removed trees will be replaced per the City’s tree regulations.

All impacts to streams and wetlands are mitigated per city regulations.

Timeline:

• December 2013 - Project announcement
• 2014 - PSE worked with the Community Advisor Group (CAG)
• 2015-2018 - Environmental review 
• August 2021 - PSE filed land use applications, City issues notice of application (mailing within 500’, post three yellow land use action sign, post in city hall and library)
• Oct. 10, 2021 – PSE hosted neighborhood meeting (mailing within 500’ and parties of record)
• May 11, 2022 – City issued notice of public hearing (mailing within 500’ and parties of record, posted four land use signs, posted in city hall and library and published hearing notice in Seattle Times)
• June 6, 2022 – Hearing examiner held public hearing
• July 11, 2022 – Hearing Examiner issued approval decision
• Spring/summer 2023: Construction anticipated to begin

Project numbers:  LAND-2021-00487 & LAND-2021-00521

Project type:  Type III Conditional Use & Type II Site Plan Entitlement

Public Notice
Notice of Application (PDF)