HomeMy WebLinkAboutC_Public_Comment_58THE GREATER
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Greater Issaquah
December 10, 2019
Chamber of Commerce
Visitor Information Center
Hearing Examiner
& Salmon Days
c/o City Clerk's Office
155 NW Gilman Blvd.
Issaquah, WA 98027
www.IssaquahChamber.com
Renton City Hall
425-392-7024
1055 S Grady Way
425 -392 -0661 -Salmon Days
Renton, WA 98057
Kathy McCorry, CEO
Re: Energize Eastside permit application # LUA18-000055
Mission Statement
The Greater Issaquah Chamber of
Dear Hearing Examiner:
Commerce is the catalyst for
business growth, the convener
On behalf of the Issaquah Chamber of Commerce board of directors, we appreciate ppreciate the
of leaders and influencers,
and the champion for the
opportunity to provide comments as you consider PSE's Energize Eastside permit for Renton.
business community.
We have been on record in the past expressing our concerns about the transmission capacity
Board of Directors
deficiency we face on the Eastside and in support of the Energize Eastside project as the solution
Chairman of the Board
to that problem. In the past, Issaquah has faced issues with electrical reliability that we have
Kari Magill
Past Chairman
worked with PSE to resolve. That said, without the Energize Eastside project, we face the
David Bleiweiss
prospect of rolling blackouts, which to us is completely unacceptable. We have heard far too
Chairman Elect
many times over the years about the painful loss of merchandise, workforce hours, revenue
Wright Noel
reduction, and inconvenience/cost to purchase and maintain a generator. Grocery stores, retail,
Secretary
Benjamin Farrar
office, service providers and our medical offices and hospitals are all negatively impacted when
Treasurer
the power goes out.
Hernan Rubio Guerrero
Executive Member at Large
Our support of Energize Eastside is simple — we need reliable power, we need to build the
William Shaw
infrastructure necessary to accommodate the growth we have seen and the growth we all know
Directors
is coming, and we need to build it in a timely manner. We reiterate our support of building
Nathan Bosseler
Energize Eastside using the existing utility corridor as way to expedite the project's construction
Tori Gaines
and completion.
Janet Kelly
Debbie Marlow
Tony Rehn
Lastly, we know that businesses make decisions on where to locate or relocate based on a variety
Gloria Chien
of factors. Being known as a region with an aging and unreliable electrical system will have a
Srini Anandakumar
long-term devastating impact on our entire Eastside economy. In this globally competitive
Alan Finkelstein
environment, we will not be able to attract new businesses to our region without the assurance
Stewart Kelpe
of reliable power.
Chairman's Circle
Costco Wholesale
The significance of Energize Eastside to the health of our economy cannot be understated. It is
Evergreen Ford/Lincoln/Chevrolet
vital that this additional infrastructure be built without delay. We urge you to recommend
Puget Sound Energy
approval of the permit for Energize Eastside.
Overlake Medical Clinics
Recology CleanScapes
Respectfully,
Rowley Properties
Swedish Hospital
�� 1
Umpqua Bank
Virginia Mason
Kathy McCorry, CEO
Greater Issaquah Chamber of Commerce