Energize Eastside advisory group selects ‘M’ route through Renton

Published 12:54 pm Monday, October 13, 2014

The Community Advisory Group that represents neighbors, business owners and community leaders as part of Puget Sound Energy’s Energize Eastside Project have announced their preliminary route recommendations for the project and all four recommendations select the “M” route through Renton, keeping the transmission lines at their current location.

PSE initially selected two routes through Renton as part of the 18-mile project designed to replace the current transmission lines with higher capacity lines, something the company said is need to meet energy needs of the future. Through Renton, PSE had selected two possible routes, the “M” Route, utilizing the current right-of-way near Monroe Avenue Northeast, and the “L” Route, which would have taken the lines along the former railroad easement near Lake Washington and Gene Coulon Memorial Park.

The preliminary route recommendation is based on information gathered over the past year, community feedback, survey results, and the results of a “multi-objective decision analysis,” called MODA, which is a process for making decisions involving very complex issues. The MODA evaluation was completed by 19 out of 24 advisory group members.

Of the 18 advisory group members present on Oct. 8, 15 members supported the preliminary route recommendation; two abstained and one had a dissenting opinion to include only three routes.

The Community Advisory Group’s preliminary recommendation includes the following routes (listed north-to-south):

• Ash (Segments A-C-D-F-G1-I-K2-M-N)

• Oak (Segments A-C-E-G2-I-K2-M-N)

• Redwood (Segments A-C-E-G2-G1-H-K1-K2-M-N)

• Willow (Segments A-C-E-J-M-N)

To view these routes and the others that were evaluated visit http://www.energizeeastside.com/interactive-map.

PSE initially identified 18 potential route options for the new, higher-capacity electric transmission lines that will stretch the 18 miles between Redmond and Renton, along with a new substation. In July, the project’s Community Advisory Group recommended 11 of those routes for further evaluation. That number has now been narrowed down to four.

Continuing feedback from the public will help the advisory group make its final recommendation to PSE in December. PSE will ultimately make the final decision on which route is selected.

The public is encouraged to weigh in on the Community Advisory Group’s preliminary route recommendation at open houses on Nov. 12 in Renton and Nov. 13 in Redmond, and by using an online open house feature that launches in early November at pse.com/energizeeastside.