HomeMy WebLinkAboutC_Public_Comment_56
Greater Kirkland Chamber of Commerce
440 Central Way
Kirkland, WA 98033
December 16, 2019
Hearing Examiner
c/o City Clerk’s Office
Renton City Hall
1055 S Grady Way
Renton, WA 98057
Dear Hearing Examiner:
The Greater Kirkland Chamber of Commerce supports Puget Sound Energy’s Energize Eastside proposal
to build a new electric substation and approximately 16 miles of high capacity electric transmission lines
in an existing utility corridor from Redmond to Renton via permit application # LUA18-000055 .
This issue is of great importance to the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce because of our growing Eastside
area cities. Energize Eastside studies show that if no action is taken to upgrade the backbone of the
Eastside's transmission system, PSE may have to utilize additional Corrective Action Plans that plan for
intentional load shedding to meet federal requirements, and this would impact more than 130,000
customers, at a cost of tens of millions of dollars to the local economy.
If this permit application is not supported, the alternative will greatly impact the local business
community and the public. This is concerning for the business community, as having strong energy
infrastructure at affordable rates is crucial for us to remain competitive as a place for businesses to grow
and thrive. We also agree with PSE’s comments regarding its load growth projections, demonstrating that
conservation alone is not a reasonable solution based on projected demand or to prevent transmission
capacity shortages.
The most reliable and cost-effective solution is a combination of continued, aggressive conservation
efforts and building new infrastructure — specifically, upgrading existing transmission lines in an
existing corridor and building a new substation.
We urge you to consider the impact to our businesses in this matter and support Energize Eastside.
Sincerely,
Samantha St. John
Executive Director
Greater Kirkland Chamber of Commerce