PORT ANGELES – Clallam County PUD is urging improvements for the main transmission line that serves Clallam County’s west end.
The Bonneville Power Administration operates and services the line. It has been subject to repeated outages that have left the west end without power for lengthy periods. That’s due in part that local PUD crews can’t work on the line and must wait for BPA crews to come from out of the area to do repairs.
Now the PUD and west-end representative are asking BPA to expand the right of way for the segment of that line between Port Angeles and Sappho. The right of way is currently only 100 feet. They say that, coupled with many nearby tall trees that might topple in severe weather, are a recipe for outages that could be prevented.
Clallam County Commissioners have joined in support of the effort, calling the lengthy outages a public safety issue that could be prevented. They’re sending a letter to the BPA’s administrator urging the changes and inviting him to come tour the area.