Methow Transmission Project

Welcome

Methow Transmission Project Update: November 22, 2006

Okanogan County Public Utility District prevailed in a recent Superior Court challenge to its Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed 28 mile long Pateros to Twisp Transmission Line and Substation Project.

The State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) lawsuit challenging the adequacy of EIS was filed by Daniel Gebbers; People for Alternatives, Conservation and Education (PACE) and the Methow Valley Citizens Council (MVCC). The EIS was a joint effort by the United States Forest Service as lead agency under NEPA and Okanogan PUD as lead agency under SEPA.

Superior Court Judge Jack Burchard spent nearly an hour detailing each of the issues raised by the plaintiffs and concluded “The court found no issue on which the plaintiffs should prevail”. The ruling came after more than a decade of study, mediation and earlier court challenges. The November 22nd ruling clears the way for the PUD to begin construction on the project that will solve both transmission and distribution problems identified in the EIS.

The project will serve the PUDs Methow Valley customers and those of the Okanogan County Electric CO-OP.

* If you do not have an Adobe Reader, click here to install it from the Adobe web site: