Puget Sound Energy says the two substations serving the Winslow area – Winslow (1966) and Murden Cove (1980) – are at near maximum capacity, and the customer electrical load is peaking above designed operating levels during winter months. The overload occurrences are at the bare minimum, PSE admits, but warns that there is a threat of outages and a system failure. And on top of that, PSE’s people say, they need a transmission line to connect the two substations into a loop, which would further ensure system reliability.

In an effort to address the overloads, a group of island residents have partnered with PSE to form a two-year “demand response” pilot program to test the flexibility of the island’s electrical system with equipment installed in as many as 700 homes. Basically, the equipment automatically reduces residential customer space and water heating use at peak usage times.

The hope is that the program proves successful and it is expanded to the degree that it at least delays the perhaps inevitable construction of a new substation. It appears to be a simple formula for PSE users: conserve energy and avoid paying for more infrastructure. That’s certainly something that islanders can get behind since electrical bills tend to run very high here.

However, PSE is quick to say that the demand response program alone won’t solve the system problem on the island – it is just a piece of the pie, said one PSE representative. They argue that electrical use on the island continues to increase as more people work out of their homes with the use of additional technological devices. All of which makes our isolated resident more sensitive to outages, even when they are few and far between.

To PSE’s credit, it responded to some resistance that was voiced when its substation proposal was presented during a public meeting last May by suggesting that the demand response project might be at least a short-term solution. Still, there is considerable opposition, especially to PSE’s preliminary plans to place a transmission line along Sportsman Club Road, fronting two schools. While some decry the potential health problems caused by electrical and magnetic fields (EMF), PSE says its system complies with all applicable health and safety standards and there is no conclusive evidence of risk.

While PSE says it will listen to islanders, it’s also clear who will be making the final decisions. There are options, such as litigation or the island establishing its own power utility, but let’s hope PSE is open to what’s best for islanders.