by
Rachel Hansen | Sep 24, 2025
Plain, Lake Wenatchee area may experience longer power outages this fall
Crews began removing hazard trees this week along a high-voltage transmission line that runs through six miles of rugged, difficult-to-access terrain from Sunitsch Canyon to Winton. The goal is to improve reliability and reduce wildfire risk by widening the transmission corridor to its permitted 100-foot right-of-way.
Managing vegetation protects reliability by preventing trees from falling or growing into energized lines, and it reduces potential fuels for wildfire. Tree removal will continue into November, weather permitting. The PUD is working closely with the U.S. Forest Service to reduce impacts and ensure best forest management practices.
To ensure safety, electricity to Coles Corner, Lake Wenatchee, and Plain will be temporarily served from a Puget Sound Energy transmission line. If an outage occurs, restoration for Chelan PUD customers may take longer than usual while we ensure it is safe to restore power from the Chelan PUD side.
“In the short term, there’s a potential for longer outages than customers may be used to,” said Dan Koch, Chief of Operations. “But in the long run, this work will help keep power flowing through snow and ice storms, and reduce the risk of wildfire for years to come.”
The work this fall is the first phase of a multi-year transmission rebuild and maintenance project. Originally built in the 1930s, the Mckenzie-Beverly transmission line delivers power from Rock Island Dam to about 3,500 customers between Plain and Stevens Pass.
For the next phase of this project, Chelan PUD plans to rebuild 15 miles of the Beverly-McKenzie line from Anderson Canyon in Peshastin to Coles Corner. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2027.
The estimated $60 million project will include replacing the aging wood poles with fire-resilient steel, replacing copper conductor with higher-capacity conductor, and substation improvements at Coles Corner to improve reliability.
“This work is critically important to safely and responsibly operate the electrical grid,” Koch said. “We’re appreciate everyone’s patience while we prioritize safety.”
A crew of Chelan PUD linemen drove a snowcat from Sunitsch
Canyon to remove a large tree that fell over the transmission
line and caused a power outage on Dec. 27, 2022. Crews
stopped several times along the way to remove downed trees
that blocked access. Tree-related outages are common during
snow and ice storms along this stretch of the Beverly-Mckenzie
transmission line.
This photo taken in September 2025 shows about a 60-foot
clearance around the Beverly McKenzie transmission line.
Chelan PUD is widening the transmission corridor to its permitted
100-foot right of way to reduce wildfire risk and improve reliability
year-round.