KINGSTON — Preparations for the new Kingston substation are already being felt by North End residents in the way of slowed traffic along Miller Bay Road. But once completed, the new Puget Sound Energy station, located near Albertsons, will send power faster than ever to Hansville and Kingston households and businesses.
Hansville has been notorious in recent years for not having enough energy to go around, and residents have received calls during the winter months to reduce electricity use as much as possible. At the May 22 Greater Hansville Area Advisory Committee meeting, the energy subcommittee announced the substation’s arrival.
“They are putting up new power poles for the Kingston substation,” said GHAAC and subcommittee member Fred Nelson Tuesday. “The station will intersect (State Route) 104 and Hansville Road, and will be on the west side of Hansville Road. What I understand is they have received their (State Environmental Policy Act) permit and they expect to be online Nov. 1.”
Building permits for the substation are currently under review by the Kitsap County Commissioners, said PSE spokeswoman Dorothy Bracken. Once they have been issued, it will take five months to construct the energy conduit. It could be finished by November, but the timeline is entirely dependent on when the review process is complete, she said.
“We hope, since the permit is in review right now, we hope to have it constructed by the end of the year,” Bracken said.
The substation will be connected to a similar station located at Gunderson and Miller Bay roads. With planned growth for both areas, the power station is a must. It also means no more power generator worries, and no more calls from PSE to keep energy levels low. It will not protect against power outages, however, but it will get power back faster, Bracken said.
“The Hansville and Eglon areas are supplied with power by an underwater cable from Port Gamble and Salsbury Point,” Nelson said. “It has a limited capacity, and if it reaches that capacity, it will burn out. The cable is why they put the trailer in.”
Hansville hasn’t quite hit capacity yet, but it has come close. PSE crews installed a generator near the community in 2003, but only to supplement the cable during extreme weather and high energy usage.
In 2004, PSE officials were considering installing another cable, but decided it would be cheaper and more prudent to install substation, which will also assist Kingston homes.
“I think there’s going to be a tremendous relief in the community,” said GHAAC chairwoman Judy Foritano. “Many of us are tired of the telephone tree we use to give the message, or hearing the automated message every winter.”
In the meantime, drivers will be impaired by PSE crews who are working to install power poles for the new substation during the summer, which will cause delays for drivers on Miller Bay and Gunderson roads.
