Puget Sound Energy has completed $6.5 million in improvements to two substations in Bellevue – Bridle Trails substation at 5500 140th Ave. N.E. and Center substation at 11500 N.E. Second Place.

Upgrades at each substation will provide additional reliability and capacity for customers in these areas.

“These increases in electric system capacity are essential to support current and future demand in Bellevue – whether it is new residential or commercial construction or increased loads from existing homes and businesses,” said Jim Hutchinson, local government and community relations manager for PSE.

In the decade preceding the improvements to these substations, PSE and the city of Bellevue determined that two new substations would be required to meet the growing needs of Bellevue residents and business. With this year’s improvements to the Bridle Trails and Center substations, however, PSE is adding the equivalent of two additional substations in 2008 alone, and is working to completely rebuild a third substation – the Factoria Substation at 12806 S.E. 32nd St – and bring it online in early 2009.

The upgrades to the Bridle Trails and Center substations include additional transformer banks and other material upgrades. A transformer is a piece of electrical equipment that reduces the voltage of electric current to a level required for distribution to homes and businesses. Adding a transformer enables PSE to increase capacity and reliability for customers, while remaining within the fence line of the existing substation sites.