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PUGET SOUND ENERGY <br />Puget Sound Energy <br />P.O. Box 97034 <br />Bellevue, WA 98009-9734 <br />PSE.com <br />March 2, 2026 <br />Kittitas County Community Development Services <br />411 N Ruby St, Suite 2 <br />Ellensburg, WA 98926 <br />Dear Kittitas County Commissioners and Planning Staff, <br />Puget Sound Energy (PSE) appreciates the opportunity to provide comment on the Utilities Chapter of the Kittitas <br />County Draft Comprehensive Plan. As the local electric utility serving much of the county, PSE supports the County's <br />efforts to plan for reliable, resilient, and affordable utility infrastructure that meets the needs of existing and future <br />residents while respecting environmental and community values. <br />To that end, we respectfully submit the following comments on the Draft Comprehensive Plan policies <br />U-P4: Encourage joint electric utility construction standards for all electrical infrastructure constructed in the urban <br />growth area. In the interim, Puget Sound Energy and the Kittitas County Public Utility District will allow the City of <br />Ellensburg to review any new construction in the urban growth area. <br />PSE will continue to comply with applicable regulations governing electric infrastructure in urban growth areas. The <br />draft policy references a review process that is unclear as it applies to the Cle Elum and Kittitas UGAs. We respectfully <br />request clarification regarding the specific review expectations and processes for those areas to ensure predictability <br />and consistency in project planning and permitting. <br />U-P5: Coordinate with other utilities to create a County -wide utilities location map using GIS mapping. <br />PSE supports coordination with the County on utilities planning and recognizes the value of accurate mapping. <br />However, we are unable to comply with a blanket requirement to provide GIS utility data for County publication due <br />to privacy, security, and critical infrastructure protection requirements. PSE is willing to work collaboratively with the <br />County to respond to individual data requests in accordance with our established data -sharing protocols. <br />P7: Advocate for avoiding, where possible, routing major electric transmission lines above 55 kilovolts through urban <br />areas and critical areas. <br />PSE is subject to extensive state and local permitting requirements that prioritize avoiding critical areas unless no <br />reasonable alternative exists. While we support thoughtful siting practices, it is important that the Comprehensive <br />Plan maintain flexibility to allow for infrastructure decisions that ensure continued access to safe, reliable, and <br />affordable power as regional load and capacity demands increase. <br />U-P16: Any and all easement rights shall be acquired under normal lawful procedures. Process permits and approvals <br />for all utility facilities in a fair and timely manner, and in accordance with the development regulations that ensure <br />predictability and project concurrency. Trespass on utility easements shall be discouraged. Kittitas County reserves the <br />right to review all applications for utilities placed within or through the County for consistency with local policies, laws, <br />customs, and culture. <br />PSE appreciates the County's stated commitment to timely permit processing and enforcement of utility easements. <br />We comply with all applicable code and regulatory requirements. However, we seek clarification regarding the scope <br />