Working with
property owners

PSE communicates with property owners about any impacts associated with installing, operating and maintaining our facilities on Bainbridge Island.

Safety is PSE’s top priority. We take careful steps to ensure we can construct our projects in a safe and efficient manner.

Easement acquisition

PSE needs to acquire permanent easement rights on some private properties along our transmission line projects to be able to install, operate and maintain our facilities and manage vegetation. Permanent easement rights ensure we have efficient and safe access to our facilities so we can keep reliable power flowing to you.

Easements Factsheet

What to expect during the easement process

If PSE needs to acquire easement rights on your property, a PSE right of way agent will reach out to work through the process with you. Generally, the steps include:

  • We make initial contact with you.
  • We provide an easement offer package to you.
  • You review the easement package.
  • You have an opportunity to discuss the easement package with a PSE right of way agent.
  • You sign our easement document(s) in presence of a notary public.
  • We pay you for the easement.
  • We record the easement document(s) with the county.
  • We provide a copy of the easement document(s) to you.

You have our guarantee that we will:

  • Work with you in good faith and in an ethical manner.
  • Provide just compensation for the necessary easement rights, including any necessary tree removal.
PSE employee chatting with a customer

Transmission line construction process

It’s too early to know what the construction staging and impacts will look like for the Winslow Tap transmission rebuild and new Murden Cove – Winslow 115 kV transmission line. Once we have final designs for each of these transmission line projects, we will be able to share more specific details about construction.

Our typical construction process:

  • Pre-construction field surveying.
  • Site preparation and access (including vegetation trimming and removal).
  • Installing the new transmission or distribution poles and removing the old ones.
  • Stringing the transmission or distribution line conductors (wires).
  • Cleaning up, restoring and replanting vegetation.

PSE works with property owners and the community to minimize environmental, traffic, noise and other construction impacts. Once construction is complete in an area, PSE restores property affected by construction to its previous or an improved state, as practical. When restoration is not possible, we work with property owners to determine other options.