SEPA Review

Seattle City Light is conducting an environmental analysis of the Denny Substation Project in compliance with the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). The project is part of the City's effort to provide more reliable electrical power to the growing South Lake Union neighborhood and the nearby Cascade, Denny Triangle, Uptown, Belltown and First Hill neighborhoods, and to provide better overall system reliability.

SEPA provides the framework to compare alternatives and environmental consequences of projects, and this comparison helps avoid or mitigate adverse impacts.

The SEPA Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) being prepared for this project will analyze three alternatives for substation design and two alternate routes for one new transmission line to serve the substation.

The first step in the SEPA process was public scoping. This process allowed City Light to disclose the conceptual alternatives for the project and request public feedback, both on the possible alternatives, and on the topics to be addressed for the alternatives. City Light provided public notice of the scoping period and advertised three scoping meetings held during the week of October 22nd, 2012. City Light received 131 written comments submitted at scoping meetings, mailed, or Emailed, or provided via oral testimony during the scoping meetings.

A Scoping Document has been completed to describe the alternatives being evaluated within the Draft EIS and to inform the public of how their comments will be addressed by the EIS. To review the Scoping Document click here.

After publication of the Draft EIS (between 4th quarter 2013 and first quarter 2014), there will be a 30-day comment period during which the public can review the Draft EIS and comment on its adequacy. The Seattle City Council will hold a public hearing to take comments on the Draft EIS. The schedule for development of the Draft EIS is being refined now and will be posted on this site when finalized.

After completion of the Draft EIS review phase, City Light will decide on the preferred alternative for the project. The preferred alternative is the substation and transmission line alternative that will be fully designed, and for which complete permit applications will be submitted.

To complete the SEPA process, City Light will then issue a Final EIS in response to comments received on the Draft EIS. The Final EIS will be submitted to the Seattle City Council for review and adoption, most likely in 3rd quarter 2014. As with the Draft EIS, the schedule for this document will be refined as the project proceeds, and updates will be posted on this site.

Please check back for updates on the SEPA process and schedule.

For more information or questions about SEPA analysis for this project, please contact Kathy Fendt, Denny Substation Project EIS Manager, at (206) 684- 4257 or kathy.fendt@seattle.gov.