PORT ANGELES — A letter sent to Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) from Clallam County PUD and the West Clallam Coalition on April 21, addressed county concerns over the Port Angeles-Sappho 115-kV No. 1 transmission line.
Prominent community leaders from the Board of Clallam County Commissioners, the City of Forks, Forks Community Hospital, Makah Tribe Council, North Olympic Development Council (NODC), Clallam County Economic Development Council (EDC), Peninsula College, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and Washington State Rep. Derek Kilmer, all appeal to BPA to expand the right of way along the Silverado-Sappho segment saying, “Bonneville has an obligation to the residents and communities of West Clallam County to keep the lights on and to keep their potable water systems, health care facilities and industries dependably running.”
“Bonneville’s radial Port Angeles-Sappho 115-kV transmission line is the sole transmission line for delivering power to the isolated communities of West Clallam County,” said Sean Worthington, General Manager at Clallam County PUD. “The end of the Silverado-Sappho segment of the Port Angeles-Sappho 115-kV transmission line is the absolute last mile of Bonneville’s transmission system in the northwest corner of Bonneville’s service territory. [Silverado-Sappho] It is also among Bonneville’s most unreliable.”
Since 2020, the Silverado-Sappho segment of the transmission line has experienced 13 unplanned outages resulting in loss of power for a combined 130.75 hours. With 5,600 Clallam PUD customers residing in West Clallam County, those customers are without power for an average of 34.85 hours annually.
“This would be unacceptable if it were happening to communities located along the I-5 corridor,” said Worthington. “It is no less unacceptable to the communities of West Clallam County just because they are located at the end of Bonneville’s transmission line rather than at the heart of Bonneville’s network.”
There are two primary factors that contribute to power outages on the transmission line. “The first is a rugged, heavily forested terrain where the Silverado-Sappho segment is located,” said Worthington. “It is an area long established to be prone to severe weather, high winds and landslides that result in trees falling into the line, disrupting the service.”
“The second,” said Worthington, “is that Bonneville’s right of way for the Silverado-Sappho segment is 100 feet (50 feet on either side of the line) while many of the trees along the right of way are 150 feet tall or more. The combination of tall trees, regular severe weather, and an insufficient right of way has for decades resulted in frequent and foreseeable disruptions of service to West Clallam County, and it will continue to do so with unbearable regularity so long as Bonneville’s right of way for the Silverado-Sappho segment remains at 100 feet.”
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Reporting intern Christopher Urquia is a student at Peninsula College. He can be reached by email at christopher.urquia@peninsuladaily news.com.
