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Public utilities

Avista to Bury Power Lines on Mica Peak Amid Fire Risks

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Spokane County Commission approved a plan to grant Avista Utilities a 10-foot-wide easement to bury its existing 1.5 mile powerline network on Mica Peak, reducing wildfire and power outage risks in the densely wooded area. Avista will cover the cost of the transition, which is part of the company's broader "strategic undergrounding" project. The project is expected to start in mid-July, with customers in the area being notified of any outages. The commission's decision comes as the company also plans to transition overhead lines to underground ones in the Moran Prairie neighborhood and the unincorporated community of Dartford.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Spokane County Commission voted 5-0 to grant Avista Utilities a 10-foot-wide easement to bury its existing 1.5 mile powerline network on Mica Peak.
  • Avista will cover the cost of the transition, which will reduce the risk of wildfires and power outages in the densely wooded area.
  • Burying the lines will also require less maintenance for Avista.
  • The project is part of Avista's broader "strategic undergrounding" project, which also includes transitioning overhead lines to underground ones in the Moran Prairie neighborhood and the unincorporated community of Dartford.
  • The work on Mica Peak is expected to start in mid-July, with customers in the area being notified of any outages.
  • Avista has agreed to rehabilitate the former easement parameters back into natural habitat, including erosion and sediment control, reseeding with native seed mixes, controlling noxious weeds, and monitoring the disturbed areas.
  • The Mica Peak Conservation Area is a 900-acre property that was acquired by Spokane County in 2017 for $2.3 million, connecting it to Liberty Lake Regional Park for a combined 5,300 acres of public lands.

Statistics:

  • 900 acres: The size of the Mica Peak Conservation Area property acquired by Spokane County in 2017.
  • $2.3 million: The purchase price of the Mica Peak Conservation Area property.
  • 5,300 acres: The combined acreage of public lands in the Mica Peak Conservation Area and Liberty Lake Regional Park.
  • 1.5 miles: The length of the powerline network that Avista will bury on Mica Peak.
  • 10 feet: The width of the easement granted to Avista Utilities by the Spokane County Commission.
  • 5-0: The vote in favor of granting the easement to Avista Utilities by the Spokane County Commission.
  • 2020: The year of the Babb Road Fire, which was linked to power equipment nationwide.

Sources:

  • The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.)
  • Avista Utilities
  • Spokane County Commission
  • Inland Empire Paper Co.
  • The Cowles Co.
  • Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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