Maltby to Paradise 115 kV Transmission Line

The new transmission line and structures will be similar in design and height to the PUD’s existing 115-kV structures. (See sample photo). Poles would be between 75 and 95 feet tall.

As part of the Route Study, the PUD conducted community outreach and engagement to understand community members’ concerns and ideas for the location of the Project transmission line. During spring 2025, the PUD met with key stakeholders whose properties lie along Route Alternatives A, B, and C. Key stakeholders who were contacted included: Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), WSDOT, Williams Pipeline, Snohomish Flower Farm, Fairy Tales Farm School, Flower World, Echo Falls Golf Course, and Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue.

A Public Open House was hosted on Thursday, July 31, 2025, from 5pm to 7pm at the Hidden River Middle School Commons at 9224 Paradise Lake Road in Maltby, Washington. Postcard invitations were sent to landowners within the Project Study Area in advance of the Public Open House. The Open House was also publicized in the Everett Herald, Snohomish Tribune, on the PUD website, and various PUD social media channels. Approximately forty-five (45) members of the public attended the Public Open House.

The Public Open House gave members of the public an opportunity to ask questions, learn about the Project route alternatives being considered, and provide the PUD with community feedback. At the time of the Public Open House, Route Alternatives A, B, and C were shared with the public.

Approximately ninety (90) comments were received from community members via the PUD’s website, in-person conversations at the Public Open House, as well as post-it notes and comment forms available at the Public Open House. Public comments received during and following the Public Open House were compiled, reviewed, and summarized. The PUD considered the comments while completing the Route Study. Comments provided not only valuable insight from the community but also contributed local perspective to routing as well as recommendations for measures to minimize, avoid, or eliminate potential Project impacts. While not all comments indicated a preference or opposition to a specific route alternative, comments received generally expressed support for Route Alternative B, which follows 180th Street SE, Fales Road, and Echo Lake Road. Opposition was expressed toward Route Alternative A, which follows 180th Street SE, Broadway Avenue, 196th Street SE, and Echo Lake Road.

Typically, poles are placed in an easement that we would negotiate with the property owner, but sometimes the poles are placed in the right-of-way.

Electric and magnetic fields (EMF) are invisible lines of force that surround any electrical device. Electric fields are created by differences in voltage while magnetic fields are created by electric currents. Higher voltages and/or greater currents will result in a stronger EMF. The strength of EMF decreases dramatically with increasing distance from the source. At the edge of a standard powerline right-of-way, the EMF has already decreased by more than 90 percent compared to what a lineman experiences while working on a line.

Based on a recent in-depth review of scientific literature, the World Health Organization concluded that current evidence does not confirm the existence of any health consequences from exposure to low-level EMF. Low-level EMF is defined as low frequency non-ionizing radiation, typically below 300 Hz. Power lines fall within the extremely low frequency range at just 60 Hz. The EMF from power lines is well below radio, mobile phones, and microwaves.