After a busy comment period, the Energize Eastside project released its Phase 2 Scoping summary to reveal many of the same comments people have had on the project since its inception.

Energize Eastside is a project proposed by Puget Sound Energy (PSE) claiming to increase electrical reliability on the Eastside. Several options were presented to the city of Bellevue (in cooperation with the other cities the project would impact) in Phase 1 as solutions to an aging power grid. PSE’s preferred option, and consequently the most controversial of the proposed alternatives, is an 18-mile long 230-kilovolt (kV) line which would stretch from the Sammamish power station in Kirkland to the Talbot Hill power station in Renton, running through Kirkland, Redmond, Bellevue, Newcastle and Renton.

During the Phase 2 Scoping period, the city of Bellevue received 138 comments on the project, the most of which referenced proposed alternatives to the 18-mile line PSE prefers.

Jens Nedrud, senior project manager on Energize Eastside, said the comments were fairly predictable.

“We appreciate the public taking the time to submit comments. Our preferred route is still Willow 2,” he said. “This route will reduce the number of poles from four to one or two.”

The proposed route would use multiple types of poles to fit various neighborhoods, but on average would use higher poles and less of them along the route. Willow 2 is a route which would run south from the Sammamish substation along Bridle Trails State Park to the Richards Valley in Bellevue at a new proposed transformer substation named Richards Creek. From there the line would extend over Interstate-90 and would split near Tyee Middle School. One branch of the line would head along Southeast Newport Way carrying a 115-kV energized line built to 230-kV standards before changing to a double-circuit 115-kV line on Factoria Boulevard Southeast and then back to a single-circuit 115-kV line on Coal Creek Parkway Southeast. The tallest poles in this route would be 80-feet tall.

Main points of contention in the comments include questioning the motive of PSE (which is owned by an Australian and Canadian investment fund), increased utility rates, a lack of information on project details and safety sharing the utilities corridor with a petroleum-products pipeline.

A significant portion of the Phase 2 Scoping comments had to deal with the proposed “bypass routes” PSE released just before the comment period was to commence. These two routes would deviate from the existing utilities corridor that ran adjacent to the East Bellevue Community Council’s jurisdiction.

Nedrud said at the time the routes were fall-back options in case the community council balked at the route.

The council is “empowered by state law with the authority to approve and disapprove certain land-use actions in East Bellevue, including the Energize Eastside project.” Bill Capron, council chair, said the way PSE was dealing with the council was frustrating.

“I’m kind of offended they’re going to bypass us to avoid saying no,” he said. “They are afraid we are going to deny it like the 148th Street project. No we don’t have the power to determine if this project is necessary, but if the route were brought in front of me, I can’t think of a good reason to turn it down. But it hasn’t come in front of me.”

As always in Energize Eastside, the most vocal opponents have been the group Coalition of Eastside Neighborhoods for Sensible Energy, or CENSE.

CENSE believes Energize Eastside is a costly boondoggle waiting to happen. The leaders, including President Don Marsh, have said the project is looking to solve a problem that doesn’t need solving while also saying there are cheaper, more effective ways to back up energy demands on the Eastside.

“After reviewing 244 pages of the Scoping Comments, we find virtually no community support for PSE’s bypass routes,” Marsh said. “We don’t want to see any resident or business endure a blackout on a cold winter evening. Fortunately, we have a plan that uses proven technology and policies to avoid blackouts. Our plan is safer, cleaner, and less costly than PSE’s proposed transmission line. It’s time to join hundreds of cities across the US and embrace smarter solutions for our energy needs.”

PSE has said that not only is the process necessary to avoid potential power disruptions during peak hours, but the new route would actually move power lines farther from the Olympic pipeline which transports gasoline and jet fuel — something that has been a major concern for opponents of the project. The company also said that — contrary to CENSE’s claims — no homes would be condemned by its plans.

The next steps of the Environmental Impact Statement process will be for Bellevue (as lead agency on the project) to write a report identifying reasonable alternatives and elements of the environment to be analyzed in the Phase 2 Draft impact statement.