Puget Sound Energy Sammamish to Juanita Transmission Line

Puget Sound Energy transmission line project

Sammamish - Juanita 115 kV transmission line

Project updates

The new transmission line was completed and energized in December 2023.
Customers may still see crews working, as they complete restoration along the new corridor in Redmond and Kirkland over the next few months.

Project overview

Demand for power is growing in King County. The electric system serving Redmond and Kirkland – referred to as the Moorlands electric system – has exceeded available capacity. The Sammamish – Juanita transmission line is a critical upgrade required to increase system capacity and reliability for more than 61,000 customers in Redmond and Kirkland.

The project, which consists of adding just over five miles of new and upgraded 115 kV transmission line, upgrading aging substation equipment and looping the Totem substation, will provide the system capacity and reliability to serve future growth in both cities. Once completed, the Totem substation will be connected to two transmission lines. If one line goes out, the other line will still feed the substation and provide power to customers.

This project will ensure PSE can continue to supply customers in Redmond and Kirkland with dependable power for years to come. For more information about the project, review our project fact sheet. View some typical 115 kV transmission lines and poles.

How we choose the route

PSE convened a stakeholder advisory group (SAG) to help identify a route for the new transmission line. The SAG represented a diverse group of community and business leaders near the proposed project area in Redmond and Kirkland.

For nearly a year, PSE worked with the SAG and consulted the broader community through open houses and neighborhood briefings, along with reviewing public comments, to develop a technically feasible route that reflected community input. In addition to community input, PSE evaluated engineering criteria and codes and standards to identify the final route.

To learn more about the community-involved siting process for the project, review the advisory group and open house meeting information listed below.

Project Background

The project received land use approvals from the City of Redmond and the City of Kirkland. As part of the permitting process, we hosted two virtual neighborhood meetings to discuss the project with interested parties from the Cities of Redmond and Kirkland. The meetings were held prior to the Cities taking action on the project. Redmond and Kirkland interested parties had an opportunity to review the proposed project, ask questions, and provide input. Given the current coronavirus (COVID-19) public health guidelines, the meetings were held online to ensure the health and safety of staff and community members. You can view the recorded neighborhood meetings here:

Committed to keeping you informed

PSE works hard to minimize the impacts of critical electric infrastructure, and we are committed to keeping the affected community informed as the project progresses through permitting and into construction.

We will work with each jurisdiction to inform the community about the project as it is required through the permitting process. The project team will brief affected business and residents about the project as we move closer to construction. This includes face-to-face meetings, group briefings and presentations. If you have questions or would like to schedule a briefing for your organization, please reach out to the project team.