Public has chance to review plans for cross-Strait high voltage line today

Published 12:01 am Tuesday, May 24, 2005

PORT ANGELES — The U.S. Department of Energy wants to know what issues need to be addressed before a high voltage transmission line is laid across the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Esquimalt, British Columbia, to Port Angeles.

A “scoping meeting” on the Sea Breeze Pacific Juan de Fuca Cable project will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. today in Room J-47 of Peninsula College, 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd.

Department of Energy representatives will explain the environmental-impact statement process and take public comments on the proposed project, which are due by June 8.

The environmental-impact statement is required by the National Environmental Policy Act.

Sea Breeze Pacific proposes to build a 550-megawatt direct-current line to transport wind-generated electricity from Vancouver Island to Port Angeles.

The project includes installing a cable under the Strait of Juan de Fuca as well as an underground cable through Port Angeles to a Bonneville Power Administration substation near the Peninsula College campus.

In addition to today’s meeting, public comments can be submitted until June 8.

They can be e-mailed to comment@bpa.gov or mailed to Bonneville Power Administration, Communications-KC, P.O. Box 12999, Portland, OR 97212.

More on the project is contained on Sea Breeze’s Internet site, seabreezepower.com/projects/sbprts/project.php.