Representatives of Puget Sound Energy set up shop in Sumner’s library Thursday to introduce and invite feedback on a new power transmission line that could travel through portions of the city.

The proposal is a 230 kilovolt line from a new transformer at the White River power substation to the Alderton substation to the south. Thursday was the first public forum for the plan, which is in the early planning stages.

Most of the PSE’s electricity is produced from facilities on the east side of the state. Bulk power is transmitted by land lines to substations in service regions, which in turn transmit the power to other substations directed to the smaller power lines that bring electricity to residential, commercial and industrial facilities.

“The White River substation is our main hub of bulk power in the area,” company spokeswoman Lindsey Walimaki said. “The facility has two transformers running close to capacity, so if we need to do maintenance on one of them, there’s not enough operational flexibility to fix one without impacting the power available to our customers.”

The company’s solution is to add another transformer and transmission line for bulk power coming from the White River substation. The problem they are trying to solve is how to direct the energy from Point A to Point B, laying an aboveground landline path that will cause least consternation to municipal, county, state and federal organizations that have jurisdiction of the midway lands, as well as the private citizens who live along potential routes.

The public forum took the form of an open house in which anyone interested in the project could walk into a room of information boards, ask PSE representatives about project details, and provide comment cards with their feedback.

“We want to get an idea of where people would prefer the transmission line to be,” Project Manager Janet Olsen said. “Of course, you’re not going to please everyone, but we want to get an idea of what seems to work best.”

There are three proposed pathways for the transmission line. Each passes over a portion of Sumner: one over the easterly Orton Junction annexation area, one over central Valley Avenue, and one to the west, running between state Route 167 and the city industrial district but avoiding most residences. The westernmost path seems to be the most desirable to PSE and the community advisory committee on the proposed project, Olsen said. It was the only route preliminarily recommended for further study, according to a sheet of advisory committee comments and concerns. The pathway provides the least interference to residences and seems to have the least potential for being interfered upon by existing construction, though it could limit growth of nearby railway. It is also the most expensive option, requiring an extended route between the substations and—because it crosses the White River—the blessing of the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

A project of the transmission line’s scope requires the weighing in of government organizations at all levels, in addition to the city of Sumner. PSE has sought or will seek input from Pierce County, the city of Puyallup, Fish and Wildlife, the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Ecology, and perhaps the Army Corps of Engineers.

After two more meetings with the advisory committee, the proposal will return for further public comment at a to be determined date this summer.