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Civil Improvements Scheduled on 1st Avenue South

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Starting this May, Seattle City Light crews will complete the final trench work on 1st Avenue South, between South Royal Brougham Way and Railroad Way South. Civil construction crews will be installing a new electrical duct bank, which will upgrade aging electrical infrastructure in the SODO and Pioneer Square areas.

Construction work area on 1st Avenue South

Crews will work on the west side of 1st Avenue South, occupying both southbound lanes for duct bank excavation. Southbound traffic will merge with the northbound lanes on 1st Avenue South. Noise is expected during construction from jackhammering and heavy equipment.

Some parking will be restricted on 1st Avenue South for truck staging and equipment storage.

Crews will install an electrical duct bank, which will increase reliability for the Pioneer Square and SODO areas.

Construction is scheduled to start in mid-to-late May 2019. Daily work hours are from Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Work will not occur two hours before and after major Pioneer Square/South of Downtown (SODO) events. The entire project is scheduled to take up to four months to complete.

For more information, customers can contact Chau Luu, Senior Electrical Service Representative at chau.luu@seattle.gov or (206) 386-1671.

Learn more about this project by visiting our construction website:
www.seattle.gov/light/atwork/release.asp?RN=405.

Seattle City (spot)Light: Shari Weir

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Shari Weir will celebrate three years at City Light this month. She works in Customer Energy Solutions as the program manager for Green-Up, City Light’s voluntary green power program. “We have about 13,000 participants who contribute a little extra on their bill,” Shari explained. “That extra money goes toward the purchase of renewable energy. Our customer contributions average around $1M dollars per year. It’s amazing to see.”

Shari was born in Southern California but grew up in Snoqualmie. “My dad was a software engineer, so we moved up here in the early 90s,” Shari shared. She studied urban planning, in the Community, Environment and Planning program at the University of Washington (UW). She also attended graduate school at UW’s Evans School of Public Affairs.

In this week’s (spot)Light, Shari talks about being a public servant and her hobbies.

Shari on the Horseshoe Bay Ferry in British Columbia

“I enjoy the outdoors as much as I can – skiing, hiking, getting out with my dog Roger. I used to work for the Forest Service so I’m familiar with the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and know the trails well. The past few years, after pressure from my sister and brother, I’ve gotten into alpine touring. I would like to do more of that without the fear of avalanches! I also like to read, bake, restore mid-century furniture, and embroider, mainly free-hand embroidery… I got started in grad school when I found I needed a creative release– it’s nice to grab a piece of fabric and some thread and create something out of nothing.”

“My job has two focuses. One is to market the Green-Up Program; to keep attracting customers and talk to those who already participate. The other is to find ways to spend the revenue in ways that 1) are compliant with the laws that govern the program and 2) are in line with the customers’ preferences. One example is our Green-up Grants which funded 14 local projects in 2017. This year, I ‘m working on the Access Solar Project which will install solar on affordable housing in our service territory.”

“I’m a born public servant and have worked in renewable energy for seven years. I had a strong desire to switch over to the utility side, especially one that serves my hometown. Because we’re a muni, I’m also working for the City. It’s all about the public good. I like to operate with a high level of integrity. It’s always been my philosophy to apply my work toward public good, specifically focusing on sustainability. That’s how I decided on my major in college.”

“As an organization, we have a pretty high level of integrity. We’re always trying to treat our customers well, to do the right thing, to be responsible with our revenues and rates. I see that consistently. I also really like our focus on RSJI and assisting our low-income customers. That’s been a real joy to work on – to always consider the community impact, the community initiative. It’s not just about what we at the utility want to do.  And I get a lot of pleasure managing a customer-facing program because it’s all about our customers. It’s not ratepayer’s funds I’m working with, it’s the participant’s funds. So, it’s about what they want.”

Seattle City (spot)Light: Marlin Jackson

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Marlin Jackson has been at City Light for twelve years. As the Communications Electrician Crew Chief, he’s located at the North Service Center where he and his team serve the utility’s telecommunications operations. “Our primary responsibility is to make sure that we can facilitate the transfer of information to and from our sites, both local and remote,” Marlin explained. “Some of the ways we interface the technology include an optical multiplexing system, copper cables and touch screen communications.”

A New Jersey native, Marlin settled in Washington state after serving in the Navy. “I served for twenty years and for fourteen of those years, I was stationed in different locations on the East coast. I wanted to try something new,” Marlin shared. “So, I took orders to the USS Abraham Lincoln CVN-72, followed by the Fleet Technical Support Center Pacific. I retired in 2003.” He now lives in Everett where he enjoys access to the Northwest’s beauty, including mountains, lakes and rain forests on the Peninsula.

In this week’s (spot)Light, Marlin talks about his hobbies and his work at City Light.

Marlin Jackson

“Over the course of my career and during my time in the Navy, I attended many vocational schools. I studied things like closd circuit television, telephone systems, broadcast televisions and more. As you can see, the common thread is electronics. Although technology has made much of that training obsolete (for example, no more analog), it cemented the fundamentals to this day. Before retiring, I passed my certification for my Federal Communications License and completed my degree in applied science from Excelsior University.”

“One of my favorite hobbies is motorcycle riding. I was a late bloomer to it but it’s something I can only describe as ‘transformational.’ When you ride, all your senses are alive. I feel that it allows you to truly experience the roads instead of simply driving from ‘Point A to Point B’.”

“The challenge of learning the job is what attracted me to City Light. Even with my background and training, I was amazed at the equipment that’s used here. I was familiar with some of it, but there were some items I had never seen. Once I was hired, I immersed myself in the role. In many aspects, it was a little overwhelming at times, but not impossible.  I believed then as I do now, that if you truly apply yourself to learning and improving, there isn’t anything you can’t accomplish.”

“I like City Light because of the people who work here. I also like the challenge of being part of an evolving business. Responsibility increases, training never stops, and accountability is always present. And with the work that we do, there is an ongoing satisfaction of a job well done. This is an industry where we must always practice safety to ensure that everyone gets home to their love ones. To me, each of these elements represent a continued drive for excellence.”

Five Reason to Visit Skagit Tours

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North Cascades Highway has opened for the season—summer is on the horizon! The North Cascades Highway is packed with adventures including lowland fishing, more than 300 glaciers, and the one and only Skagit Tours, featuring the Skagit Hydroelectric Project owned by Seattle City Light. Just a couple hours from Seattle in the North Cascades National Park Complex, you’ll enjoy breathtaking mountains, 400 miles of hiking trails and beautiful emerald waters while learning about the carbon-neutral energy produced there for customers like you.  

Need more convincing to plan your trip to this must-see, summer destination? Check out our top five reasons to visit Skagit Tours:  

1. Cruise the Emerald Green Diablo Lake

Hop aboard the Alice Ross IV and set out on a tour of Diablo Lake. This tour takes you to hidden viewpoints and explains how this remote location was transformed by early settlers. Between the almost-ethereal emerald waters and breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains, it will be a trip you will not soon forget.

Cruises are filling up, so register for a lake tour today.

2. Cross Diablo Dam and Hike Around Diablo Lake

View of the hydroelectric project from a local trail

The epic views from Diablo Dam are not to be missed on your excursion. Just off Highway 20, Diablo Dam provides a 360° view of mountains and shimmering Diablo Lake. Stick around and take a lake tour or venture out one of the many trails in the area. Afterward, you can see hydroelectric power at work during a Powerhouse Insiders Tour!

3. Climb Around Ladder Creek Falls

Stairs leading down into a colorful array of lights in the forest

The Skagit Project once aspired to be a theme park, and remnants of that vision came to fruition! Ladder Creek Falls comes alive at night with an imaginative display of light. Journey upwards and stand next to the falls as it surges into the colorful array. 

4. Take Home a Pound (or Two) of Handmade Fudge

Samples of fudge including chocolate peanut butter and chewy praline

Once a store for local workers and dam builders, Skagit General Store now serves tourists with everything you need for the perfect picnic. After being open in Newhalem for nearly 100 years, they still are best known for their delicious fudge. Grab a pound before hitting the road, or take some hiking up the Trail of the Cedars! 

5. Sign Up for a Class at the North Cascades Institute

Tour guide speaking to a group outside.

Get your green on at North Cascades Environmental Learning Center. Seattle is powered with 100% carbon-neutral energy, but there are plenty of other ways to limit your environmental impact at home! Learn about our precious surroundings through geology walks or try watercolor journaling.   

These are just a few of our favorite things to explore in the area. Now it’s time for you to make your own must-do Skagit Project list! Learn more about the variety of tours offered through skagittours.com. We’re confident you’ll find a tour that will pique your interest—but book soon! Most tours only run through September and space is limited.

Low Ross Lake Levels Projected for 2019 Summer Recreation Season

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Skagit Hydroelectric Project, Newhalem, Wash. – Due to a decline in snow pack and rainfall in the Skagit basin, Seattle City Light is predicting water levels in the Ross reservoir at the utility’s Skagit Hydroelectric Project will be significantly lower than normal during the upcoming summer months. Ross reservoir and the surrounding Ross Lake National Recreation Area, administered by the National Park Service (NPS), will be open to visitors. However, the lower level of the lake will impact the availability of some visitor facilities, services, and recreational opportunities.

Ross Lake shoreline with glacier in background
Ross Lake

The typical pool elevation in July and August is between 1600 and 1602.5 feet. Currently, City Light estimates Ross Lake will be as much as 25 feet below those levels for the entire summer. The Skagit basin received only 4.4 inches of precipitation during February and March 2019, the driest March since 1992, compared to a 30-year average of 15.56 inches. Snow pack in the Skagit basin declined by 18% in March and was only 75% of normal (1992-2019) as of April 15.

Levels were further impacted by a need to release water from the reservoir to supplement flow in the Skagit River to protect Chum salmon redds. Tributary inflows to the Skagit River between Newhalem and Rockport were far below normal in March, requiring release of about 900 cubic feet per second (cfs) more water than normal to the river downstream of the Gorge Powerhouse throughout the month and into April. Higher than normal releases to the river will continue until June 7 or until tributary inflow increases.

At the predicted summer lake levels very few, if any, of the boat ramps and docks on the reservoir will be usable. Boaters should be aware of the increased risk of encountering submerged trees and logs. While trails along Ross Lake will be usable, there could be up to several hundred feet of exposed rock, dirt, and wood between the water and the normal shoreline at full pool. The extent of exposed lakebed in any given location is dependent on topography.

More information:

Seattle City Light Announces Recipients of 2019 Wildlife Research Program Grants

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Since 1999, Seattle City Light’s Wildlife Research Grants Program (WRP) has funded more than 50 projects and distributed over $2 million in research grants to non-profit conservation organizations, universities and resource management agencies to study the wildlife that inhabits the North Cascades ecoregion.

The WRP is an element of City Light’s federal license for operating the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project in the North Cascades region, which requires the utility to collaborate with resource and land management agencies to select and fund original wildlife research projects.

Last week, WRP announced the recipients of four new research grants aimed at gaining a better understanding of wildlife and ecosystems in the North Cascades. The new grant recipients include the following:

Conservation Northwest – Testing a cloud-based computer application for agencies and organizations in U.S. and Canada to assess changes in habitat conditions for wolverines, which are susceptible to climate change.

Woodland Park Zoo and Washington State University – Developing a monitoring framework for wolverines, Canada lynx, and other carnivores in the North Cascades to aid in developing effective management strategies in the face of climate change.

Western Washington University – Assessment of survival and reproduction of mountain goats that were translocated into the North Cascades to bolster depleted populations.

Eastern Washington University – Evaluation of the role of beavers in reducing wildfire severity in riparian communities of the Methow River watershed where increased fire activity is expected as the climate changes.

The American Pika, a small creature that lives in the North Cascades and is a relative the to the rabbit.
WRP recently funded research on the American Pika and its sensitivity to
the effects of climate change. (Photo credit: J.D. Anderson)

These new grants will join the list of previously funded projects that have helped provide data crucial for agencies to make informed management decisions for rare or economically and tribally important species.

Several of the research projects funded through WRP have led to published articles in peer-reviewed professional scientific journals and conference presentations. While the grants may not always fully fund a project idea, they still support the research of lasting environmental impacts. Most notably: the effects of climate change on the region.

“We take great pride that these grants help lay the groundwork for vital research to take shape while also supporting undergraduate or graduate college students pursuing environmental degrees who will be our next generation of environmental stewards,” explains Ron Tressler, Wildlife Biologist at City Light. “The flora and fauna of the North Cascades ecosystem are a barometer for how the species will thrive during the next century with the impending effects of climate change, so these research projects are critical.”

The WRP is one of many programs City Light champions that studies and rehabilitates the region near its facilities across the state. For decades, City Light has led the way in acquiring lands along the Skagit River Watershed to protect vital salmon spawning habitats. Last year, City Light provided funding to research and forecast the recession patterns of glaciers in the North Cascades.

Recently, City Light, in partnership with the Mountains to Sound Greenway, Seattle Public Utilities and the Northwest Natural Resource Group, received a $140,000 grant for an innovative pilot project that will replant portions of logged land now owned by City Light to grow a new forest that could be more resilient to climate change. This pilot project will inform future climate-adapted restoration practices for lands owned by City Light, Seattle Public Utilities and other owners in the region. The long-term goal of the reforestation effort is to establish a diverse forest that will be adapted to the climate of the mid to late 21st century. For City Light’s Chief Environmental Officer Lynn Best, these projects are vital to better understand how the ecological landscape in the Pacific Northwest will gravely affect both the utility’s customers and its energy production.

“Climate change is the greatest environmental challenge we face today. I am proud that City Light is doing its part to address climate change and protect the Earth.”

To learn more about City Light’s Wildlife Research Project and for a list of previous grant-funded projects, visit

seattle.gov/light/environment/wildlifegrant/.

Seattle City (spot)Light: Ronda Strauch

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Ronda Strauch joined City Light in July 2018 as part of the Environment, Land and Licensing business unit. As a climate scientist, she works on climate change research and adaption. “My goal is to better understand climate change, how it affects City Light’s business, and what strategic things can we do to reduce impacts and prepare for it,” Ronda explained.

Originally from San Diego, Ronda received a bachelor’s degree in environmental management from UC Davis. She also earned her master’s degree in forest ecology and a Ph.D. in civil environmental engineering from the University of Washington. “In grad school, I looked at climate change impacts on high elevation forests,” Ronda shared. “I focused on what happens after a wildfire because, when you think of it, you’re kind of starting with a clean slate. It was a hot topic at the time. The IPCC had just formed and I knew we needed to learn more about how change could impact our forests.” She continued studying climate change focusing on landslides in the North Cascades during her doctorate.

Learn more about Ronda and her adventurous hobbies (including building her own sea kayak) in this week’s (spot)Light. 

Ronda with the 17 ft kayak that she built with her husband

“I love getting outdoors to kayak.  I’ll kayak on the Snoqualmie River, but last Labor Day my husband and I went to Broken Group Islands on the outskirts of Vancouver Island. I have a smaller kayak for rivers and lakes and the 17-foot sea kayak that we built! It took about five months to make. It’s a kit from Pygmy Boats out of Port Townsend and it’s made from an Okoume plywood that’s thin and resistant to fungal attack. I named her Cuttlefish.”

“I’m also a mountain climber. I’ve done Rainier twice, Mount Adams several times, and Mount Olympus once. Mount Baker and Mount Hood are on my list. I tried Glacier Peak, but we got foiled by whiteout conditions. I’d like to try that again. Right now, I’m training for an ultra-marathon trail run which is crazy, but it keeps me active! It’ll be at Bryce Canyon in May.”

“Gardening is another favorite hobby of mine. I have this goal of getting every tree species in Washington to grow in my yard. I have most, actually! I live on the outskirts of Woodinville. It’s a nice forested area with a little over an acre. So, we tend to get lots of animals. Last year we had two black bears. We’ve also had bobcats – we live with wildlife!”

“In my career, I’ve also looked at climate change and how it affects transportation. I did that at King County Department of Transportation and as part of my graduate work. I focused on climate change wherever I went, in whatever job I’ve held. I get to carry on that work at City Light. My work entails keeping up on the science, advancing research that supports our data needs, and communicating that information such that climate change considerations are integrated into our everyday decisions.  I really enjoy meeting and interacting with City Light employees and appreciate how they embrace the duty of keeping the lights on – even when the snow comes or doesn’t come, wind blows, fire strikes, and the heat is on!”

Seattle City (spot)Light: Erin Lowery

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Erin Lowery will celebrate five years at City Light this June. Erin is a fisheries biologist who works in the utility’s Environment, Land, and Licensing Business Unit. “We have various settlement agreements through our Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license (FERC),” Erin explained. “These agreements are designed to reduce our effects on various resource areas. My job is to manage our fisheries program as defined by our Fisheries Settlement Agreement.”

A Seattle native, Erin grew up in a turn of the century farm house in Ballard. He attended the University of Washington where he pursued his undergraduate and graduate studies at the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. “My master’s focused on the feeding behavior of bull trout in the Skagit River,” Erin shared. “That work was funded by the Science Policy Unit here at City Light. I worked with Ed Connor and Dave Pflug throughout my graduate program and am proud to be one of the scientists in that group.”

In this week’s (spot)Light, Erin talks about his hobbies and his work at City Light.

Erin with his family

“Spending time with my family is my priority. We live in Haller Lake in North Seattle. I love that my girls have become friends with a ton of kids in our neighborhood. My wife and I have also befriended many of our neighbors. And our neighborhood has sidewalks! I’m also introducing a few of my hobbies to my daughters. I like working on classic and modern cars. I have a ’74 MGB roadster, ’67 Series 2a Land Rover 88”, and a ’95 Land Rover Range Rover Classic. I’m also into junk yards, brewing beer, woodworking and metal working. I like to hunt big game (deer, elk, and bear) and upland bird hunting. Living in the Northwest, I also enjoy hiking, camping, overlanding, boating, and various types of fishing.”

“I work on two research programs that focus on Chinook salmon and steelhead. There is also a habitat construction and maintenance program for chum salmon and a small resident trout stocking program for the reservoirs. I help manage the flow plan on the Skagit which dictates how we operate the Gorge Dam in support of salmon and steelhead spawning, incubation, and fry migration. The model that was used to develop the flow program could not provide 100% protection of salmon redds (nests), so there’s a clause in our license that allows us to modify our flows based on the results of on-the-ground monitoring. Because of this, I’m out on the river once a week from March-June and again in August-January to monitor spawning activity. I use the data collected to work with natural resource agencies, tribes and City Light’s Power Management to achieve 100% redd protection.”

“City Light has a reputation of being a good steward of the environment. It’s also an organization that puts science first. Working with Ed and Dave left a big impression on me; it was a great experience.  When I was a researcher at UW I maintained professional relationships with the biologists on the Skagit. So, naturally, I was excited to apply to the utility when a position became available. I like the nature of the work and my colleagues. It also nice to know that I’m a valued part of the organization and that my work is important.”



Streetlight Infrastructure Upgrades Planned in Shelby-Hamlin

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Beginning this April, Seattle City Light will replace the aging streetlights in the Shelby-Hamlin neighborhood with a new, more reliable light-emitting diode (LED) streetlight system. The new LED streetlights will make residential streets safer by increasing their visibility at night.

The project includes the installation of 21 new LED streetlights in the neighborhood. The current neighborhood configuration has 18 total lights.

This is a map of the construction work area in the Shelby-Hamlin neighborhood.Shelby-Hamlin Construction Work Area

Existing streetlights will be replaced with new poles and LED fixtures. The fixtures will be equipped with a “Type II” pattern that distributes light to the street and sidewalk.

What You Can Expect

  • Construction will be phased in several stages to minimize street closures in the neighborhood. Only one side of the street will be closed at a time during construction.
  • Some streetlights may be relocated from their existing fixture locations during this project.
  • Noise is expected from construction and heavy equipment.

Construction is scheduled to start in mid-April 2019, starting with potholing activities and equipment staging. Daily work hours are from Mondays through Fridays, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The entire project is anticipated to take approximately five to six months to complete.

For more information, please contact Patrick Donohue, Senior Capital Projects Coordinator at (206) 386-1654 or at patrick.donohue@seattle.gov.

Visit Seattle City Light’s construction website for updates on this project and others in your neighborhood: www.seattle.gov/light/atwork/release.asp?RN=384

Update on East Marginal Way South power pole incident

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Updated April 24

On Friday, April 5 around 3:50 p.m., 26 utility poles came down along East Marginal Way South in Tukwila. We will provide updates in this space as they become available. Here is what we know now:


Immediate Response

At the outset of the event, seven City Light crews with about 40 workers responded to the scene. Our first priority was the safety of two people in the vehicle hit by a pole and our first responders. Next was restoring power to our approximately 16,500 impacted customers. Our crews got all but around 300 customers back on by about 6 p.m. Friday. They kept working through the night and by Saturday morning, only 13 customers remained out. We continue to be in contact with those customers as we work to restore their service (more on that below).

We also focused on clearing the road of debris. Once we completed that work late Saturday morning, we turned it over to the City of Tukwila to address their impacted streetlights. The road was reopened by the afternoon.

Finally, City Light engineers were also onsite over the weekend, assessing the situation to determine and begin designing necessary permanent fixes.

Investigation

Under our wood pole inspection/replacement program, we have replaced approximately 15,000 wood poles across City Light’s service area since 2010 (see this 2017 Seattle Channel video about the pole inspection process). The poles along this road were inspected in 2016 by a third-party vendor as part of that process. At that time, we treated a number of poles in accordance with normal industry standard and identified several for replacement over the coming years. None were identified as priority one (in need of immediate replacement) or posing a public safety hazard. (see more information about the poles and inspection process added below).

To ensure full accountability and impartiality, we will contract with a third party to assist in a thorough investigation. We hope to have the contract initiated today. The process will include reviewing previous inspection records, inspecting the damaged poles and equipment, which have been collected and transported to a City Light facility, as well as obtaining and reviewing any available video from the vicinity. At this time, we do not have an estimate for how long this investigation will take to complete.

April 11 update: Despite ongoing efforts that began within a few days of the incident, initiating the third-party investigation has been a slower process than we’d hoped. As we developed the scope of work and level of public scrutiny that this engagement would require, we realized that it was important to find a firm with the specific skills, capacity and interest to conduct a robust investigation in a timely manner. We’ve had conversations with several firms and we’re now in discussion with a national engineering firm and plan to engage an appropriate firm as soon as possible.

The good news is that we’ve secured the poles and infrastructure that came down last Friday, which means the investigation itself will not be compromised by the delayed start. One of the focus areas for the investigation will be whether we are replacing identified poles at an appropriate pace.

April 16 update: The Seattle City Attorney’s Office (CAO) is coordinating the City’s investigation into the 26 power poles that came down on April 5. The CAO retained a key investigator on April 15, and will add experts to the team in the coming weeks. At this time, although we would like for the investigation to proceed as quickly as possible, we are unable to predict how long it will take.

April 24 update: The City was recently provided video that shows some of the poles falling. Given that this is the first video showing these particular poles that the City is aware of, Seattle City Light is posting the video here. The video starts as rain and wind begin in the area and appears to abruptly stop when the camera loses power.

downed utility poles

The downed poles were moved to a secure yard and covered to protect from the elements. They will be inspected by a third-party firm as part of the investigation.

Restoration

City Light is prioritizing work to assess, design and construct permanent fixes to the system in this location. Today, we are preparing for construction of the circuits, so that work can begin once engineering completes the design. Crews will be working 12 hours, seven days a week to get power restored to this area. Once work is underway, we estimate that the full restoration process will take approximately two to three weeks to complete.

April 24 update: On Friday, April 19, two weeks after 26 utility poles came down along East Marginal Way South, City Light crews energized the last two customers who had been without power since the initial incident. While there is work still to be done, this restoration was accomplished more quickly than initially anticipated. Thanks goes to our hard-working, dedicated crews who enjoyed a much needed weekend off after working 12 hours a day, seven days a week. In the coming days we’ll be cleaning up the construction staging area, making sidewalk repairs and restoring vegetation where necessary, as well as working to cut over two customers, the Museum of Flight and the Raisbeck Aviation High School, from temporary to permanent power.

Customer Service

City Light is working with the seven unique customers (13 meters) that are impacted by the continued outage and planned restoration work along East Marginal Way South. We are currently working with individual customers to determine and meet their specific energy needs.

April 10 update: Our engineers have identified and are implementing temporary measures to restore power to some of the customers that remain without. This afternoon, we turned on temporary power to the Museum of Flight (those buildings not yet restored). Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we are confident we can provide temporary power to the Raisbeck Aviation High School, which is on spring break, sometime tomorrow. The full permanent restoration is still expected to take two to three weeks to complete.

April 11 update: This afternoon, we turned on temporary power to the Raisbeck Aviation High School.

April 24 update: On of Friday, April 19, City Light crews energized the last two customers who had been without power since the initial incident.

SCL crews working

City Light crews work to restore power along East Marginal Way South.


Additional information added April 11:

Poles

The 26 poles that fell on East Marginal Way South range significantly in age; the oldest two were installed in 1954 and the five newest in 2011. All were inspected in December 2016.

As part of the pole inspection process (described below), poles are assigned a priority rating from 1 to 5; poles identified as P1 or P2 are flagged for replacement, although P2 poles do not require immediate replacement and maintenance is suggested within a “practical timeframe.” The poles that fell on East Marginal Way South had priority ratings between P2 and P5 and the eight P2 poles were included in City Light’s Capital Improvement Plan.

Poles “age” at different rates for a variety of reasons, including location, soil characteristics, wood density, physical environment and treatment applied. It’s a complex process that the industry has studied for many years. As poles age, water is absorbed and over time, the resulting bacteria attacks the integrity of the wood. Hence the investment in aggressive “test and treat” programs by all electric utilities. As an example, in the 2016 inspection cycle one of the 1954 poles was assigned a P2 rating and the other was assigned a P4 rating.

Pole Inspection Process

City Light’s “Inspection Procedures for Wood Pole Assessment” were developed in conjunction with a third-party vendor and are carried out by a second third-party vendor. As designed, the program evaluates the integrity of the overhead line system by using skilled workers equipped with appropriate tools to aid their judgement. Each of City Light’s 93,000 individually or jointly owned poles that have been in service for five years or more are to be inspected on a 10-year cycle. The 26 poles that fell were a mixture of individually owned and jointly owned poles with both City Light and communication entities’ equipment attached. The inspection process includes a visual, sound and bore partial excavation inspection as demonstrated in this 2017 Seattle Channel video and described in this 2014 blog post.

City Light’s wood pole inspection program was put in place in 2011, which makes it a relatively new area of focus, but one where we are making steady improvement. If the third-party investigation or our own internal review reveals changes to our current pole inspection program are advisable, we will pursue those adjustments in the near term.