Methow Transmission Project

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Methow Transmission Project Update:

December 2, 2008 - Petition Denied - The Washington State Supreme Court unanimously denied the Petition For Discretionary Review of the Methow Transmission Project Environmental Impact Statement filed by Peter Goldman on behalf of Dan Gebbers and PACE.  This Order effectively concludes the review of the PUD's SEPA process and the Board's decision to move forward with the Pateros-Twisp transmission line.

August 18, 2008 - Conditional Use Permit Approved - Okanogan Public Utility District's Gold Creek substation Conditional Use Permit application was unanimously approved by the Okanogan County Board of Adjustment! The Gold Creek substation is an integral component of the Pateros-Twisp transmission line and the selected method of improving distribution capacity, reliability and line losses in the Methow Valley. This permit is the first of many the PUD will obtain in order to move forward with construction of the Pateros-Twisp transmission line and Gold Creek substation.

March 1, 2008 - Appeal Upheld - After a loss in Okanogan County Superior Court, the plaintiffs (Daniel Gebbers; People for Alternatives, Conservation and Education, and the Methow Valley Citizens Council) filed an appeal with the Washington State Court of Appeals in Spokane, WA.  The Court of Appeals upheld the Methow Transmission Project Final Environmental Impact Statement and the Board of Commissioners adoption of Alternative 2, the Pateros-Twisp transmission line and Gold Creek substation.  The Court stated that,“The FEIS sufficiently discusses and estimates the environmental impacts and economic costs of Alternatives 2 and 4 to permit a reasonable comparison of alternatives as required by SEPA.  The FEIS satisfies the rule of reason." 

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.

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