Skip to main content
Avista Logo
Avista Star Burst
Search our site
  • Sign in
    Search our site
  • {{alertsCount}}
    {{data.CustomerName}}
    •  
      Your Profile
    •  
      Update contact info
    •  
      Update sign in info
    •  
      Notification center
      {{alertsCount}}
    •  
      Sign Out
    • Your Account
      •  
        Account Management
        Account Summary
        Your Enrollments
        Your Profile
        Alert Preferences
        Manage Rental Properties
        Text and Mobile App
        Customer News
        Connections Blog
         
        Your Bill
        Pay Your Bill
        View your usage
        Billing History
        Compare Your Bills
        Ways To Pay
        Manage Payments
        Comfort Level Billing
        Understand Your Bill
         
        Payment and energy assistance
        Payment Assistance by State
        Payment Arrangements
        Energy Assistance
        New Customers
        Residential / Business
        Moving?
        Start / Stop / Transfer Service
        High / Low / Average

        Download our mobile app

        View account balances and due dates, access bill and payment history, view and report outages and more

        Learn more

    • Save Energy
      •  
        Residential
        Energy Saving Tips
        Rebates
        Energy Saving Tools
        Project Financing
        Energy Manager
         
        Business
        Energy Saving Tips
        Rebates
        Programs and Services
        Small Business Project Financing
        Find your Account Executive
         
        Green Options
        My Clean Energy
        Go solar
        Renewable Natural Gas
        Community Renewable Options
        Electric Transportation
        Compressed Natural Gas
    • Safety
      •  
        Call 811 Before You Dig
        Natural Gas Safety
        Safety Videos
        Tree Pruning
         
        Electric Safety
        Wildfire Resiliency
        Safety Around Dams
        Kid's Center
         
        Beware of Scams
        Emergency Responders
        Public Officials

        Call 811 before you dig

        State law requires you to call at least two working days before you dig

        Know what’s below

    • Outages
      •  
        Outage Report / Status
        Report an Electric Outage
        Check Status
        Outage Map
         
        Safety and Preparation
        Outage Center
         
        Text and Mobile App
        Alert Preferences

        Keep track of outages

        Outage information, including an outage map and an alert center, at your fingertips.

        Stay connected

    • About Us
      •  
        Avista At A Glance
        Our Company
        ESG/Corporate Responsibility
        Working at Avista
        Our Community
        Integrated Resource Planning
        FERC Standards of Conduct and Price Reporting
        Our Energy Mix
        Connections Blog
         
        Electric and Gas Service
        Rates and Tariffs
        Construction Services
        Become a Supplier or Contractor
        Smart Meters
         
         
        Environmental Stewardship
        Celebrate Our Rivers
        Our Commitment
        Climate Change
        Recreation
        Water Flow Information
    • Contact Us
      •  
        Give us a call

        Residential customers:
        (800) 227-9187


        Business customers:
        (800) 936-6629


        Hearing impaired:
        dial 711


        Our phone lines are open:
        7:00 am - 7:00 pm Monday - Friday
        9:00 am - 5:00 pm on Saturdays

         
        Email us

        We'll get back to you within 2 business days (excluding holidays).

        Send us an email


        Construction services

        Need gas or electric service to your property?

        Request a construction job


        Social Media
         
        Mailing address
        Bill payments may be mailed to (or placed in the drop box) at:
        1411 E. Mission Ave.
        Spokane, WA ‍99252-0001
        Downed power line? Damaged utility pole?

        Smell or hear a gas leak or need to report a downed power line?

        Call (800) 227-9187.

    ╳
    Account has a stopped service as of {{ data.AgreementStoppedDate }} View details
    Address: {{data.ServiceAddress[0].Value}} (other addresses)
    Account has a stopped service as of {{ data.AgreementStoppedDate }} View details
    Address: {{data.ServiceAddress[0].Value}} (other addresses)
    Too many failed attempts
    We're sorry, your account has been locked. For your security, please contact us at (800) 227-9187.
    Close

    Return to managed accounts

    Managed By: {{data.ManagerName}} and {{data.Managers.length - 1}} more

    Managers

    • {{manager.ManagerName}}
    Remove account manager
    Click Confirm below to remove the ability for this party to manage your account.
    {{clientManagerError}}
    Cancel

    Metro – Sunset Transmission Line Project

    Avista is committed to making sure your power is safe and reliable, which includes upgrading and replacing equipment when needed. Our transmission line that runs from the Sunset Substation below High Drive Bluff to the heart of downtown Spokane is slated for replacement. This is vital infrastructure that is critical to meeting our community’s ongoing needs.

    This approximately two-mile line goes through publicly accessed trails and City of Spokane park property and includes upgrading 13 transmission structures from wood to steel. The substations on either end of the line, Sunset Substation below the bluff and Metro Substation in downtown, are being rebuilt to serve growth in the region. The line between them needs upgrading too. Construction is planned to begin in late August 2023 and take approximately two months.

    • See map
    • Clearing and Grading Plans – Access Plans (pages 1-14) – updated May 2023 after considering community input
    • Restoration Plans (pages 15-26) – updated May 2023 after considering community input

    Why rebuild?

    • Upgrade aging structures - 50 years old
    • Expand electrical capacity
    • Enhance wildfire resiliency by moving from wood to steel poles
    • Deliver safe and reliable power

    Engagement

    During the first few months of 2023, Avista reached out to neighborhood councils, Friends of the Bluff, and neighborhood residents in the vicinity of the Bluff to learn more about what the community wanted to see from this project. We extended our original comment period by an additional four weeks (to March 17) to help ensure everyone had a chance to provide input.

    Avista appreciates the feedback we’ve received and want to do the best job we can to balance the needs of the project with the desires of key stakeholders, including trail users and those who live near the transmission line. Based on input, we are making some key changes to our project approach. To learn more, please see the FAQs and Project Updates below.

    FAQs - updated March 27, 2023

    Q. What changes have you made with your approach to this project, based on community feedback?
    A. Avista appreciates the feedback we’ve received about this project over the past three months. We want to do the best job we can balancing the needs of the project with the desires of key stakeholders, including trail users and those who live near the transmission line. Based on input, we have made some key changes to our project approach, including the goal to minimize ground disturbance by proceeding with the softest, lightest touch possible. These key changes include:

    • We identified three structures (2/4, 2/5, 2/6) where crews could helicopter in the new poles. We can’t utilize this approach with every structure given the proximity to homes.
    • We are also proposing using tracked vehicles to minimize vegetation impacts with limited road construction
    • We are decreasing the number of construction pads used during the project
    • We are planning to install gates and/or boulders to prevent motorized vehicle access

    The goal will be to restore the site to pre-work condition and not leave access roads or pads. Avista is in the process of revising our plans and expects to have new plans posted to our project website by June 1.

    Q. When will construction take place?
    A. Construction is planned for Fall 2023 and will take about two months to complete. Although we do not yet have a contractor on board, we anticipate work will begin during toward the end of August.

    Q. How will you communicate about trail closures and re-openings during construction?
    A. We have a number of communication channels we are planning to use during construction including frequent updates to our project website, emails to interested stakeholders (sign up at BluffProject@avistacorp.com), and coordination with City Parks and Friends of the Bluff to push out updates through their channels. We also plan to post signage at trail access points, as well as along the trails. Our goal is to keep trails open outside construction windows when it is safe to do so.

    Q. What will you do to prevent motorized vehicles from accessing the bluff using your construction roads?
    A. We heard a number of concerns about this issue during the comment period. Avista will work with our contractor to place temporary barriers such as boulders to prevent motorized vehicle access during construction. Following construction and restoration, we are planning to install gates at access points to allow only authorized access by fire and utility personnel, as needed.

    Q. The restoration plans posted on your website are fairly vague. When will you have plans that are more detailed and complete?
    A. Based on feedback, we are in the process of revising our restoration plans. A more detailed set of plans is expected to be posted to our project website by June 1, 2023.

    Q. Will you be replacing the trees that will be removed for this project?
    A. Avista will discuss the requirement for tree replacement with City of Spokane Parks forester. Tree replacement may not occur within the project impact area; however, it will occur in areas of the bluff with a greater need for tree cover.

    Q. How do you plan to prevent the spread of noxious weeds like Scotch Broom?
    A. Avista is currently working with a Washington State licensed herbicide applicator to target noxious weeks along the corridor. Prior to construction, Avista will clearly mark the Scotch Broom infestation areas so crews can avoid disturbance in those areas. Noxious weed control will occur before and after construction.

    Q. Why don’t you use helicopters for this project, like you did a few years ago?
    A. Based on community feedback, we took another look at our approach and identified three structures (2/4, 2/5, 2/6) where crews could helicopter in the new poles. We can’t utilize this approach with every structure given the proximity to homes, which would need to be evacuated according to safety regulations.

    Q. Why don’t you put the transmission line underground?
    A. Underground transmission lines are extremely rare. Not only do they operate with less capacity (transmission lines heat up and when they are underground, there is no way to cool so they lose capacity), but more importantly, they are less resilient (any sort of fault or equipment failure takes much longer to repair, resulting in huge service disruptions and highly invasive environmental impacts). Avista does not have the expertise to repair underground transmission lines and therefore would have to rely on highly specialized contractors, which would likely mean a service interruption of up to 30 days or longer. This system vulnerability is simply not acceptable to Avista. This means that going underground with transmission is typically not an option.

    An additional consideration for the Bluff is the significant environmental impact. To install underground transmission lines would mean large excavation areas as well as the need to install roads and landing pads for concrete truck access.

    The cost to underground transmission lines is extremely expensive. On average, overhead 115kV transmission lines are approximately $500,000 per mile. To underground this in rural areas or those with conditions that would accommodate undergrounding, the cost is 10 times or approximately $5 million per mile. For urban or basalt-type area undergrounding, the cost is 20 times or approximately $10 million per mile. These costs would be borne by all Avista customers through increased rates.

    Q. But haven’t I heard of Avista undergrounding lines before?
    A. You have likely heard about undergrounding distribution lines, which are the lines that connect power directly to homes and businesses. Transmission carries bulk electricity at higher voltages, while distribution lines operate at much lower voltages. Avista’s current operational standard is to install underground distribution lines for new developments unless the ground conditions make the costs unreasonable.

    Project Updates

    March 1, 2023 - Comment Period Extended; Changes Made to Construction Plans

    Avista has engaged key stakeholders to collect feedback and comments about this project for nearly two months. In the final days of the informal comment period (ending Feb 17) we began to hear from Bluff users who were just becoming aware of the project and the opportunity to comment. We want to make sure everyone has a chance to provide input and decided to extend the comment period to March 17. We will respond to individual questions and comments after the comment period closes.

    Avista appreciates the feedback we’ve received thus far about this project. We want to do the best job we can balancing the needs of the project with the desires of key stakeholders, including trail users and those who live near the transmission line. Based on input, our goal is to minimize disturbance by proceeding with the softest, lightest touch possible.

    While we are still in the process of gathering public feedback, from what we’ve heard so far, we have made some key changes to our plans to minimize disturbance:

    • We identified three structures (2/4, 2/5, 2/6) where crews could helicopter in the new poles. We can’t utilize this approach with every structure given the proximity to homes.
    • We are also proposing using tracked vehicles to minimize vegetation impacts with limited road construction
    • We are decreasing the number of construction pads used during the project
    • We are planning to install gates and/or boulders to prevent motorized vehicle access

    The goal will be to restore the site to pre-work condition and not leave access roads or pads.

    The process is ongoing, and we have not decided on a final plan. We are continuing to work with the City of Spokane and key stakeholders to determine how best to move forward.

    We value our partnerships with the City of Spokane, our customers, neighborhood councils, trail users and other stakeholders. This is an important part of the process, and we are grateful to everyone who has taken the time to give feedback.

    Avista is committed to providing safe and reliable power, which means maintaining and upgrading our infrastructure when needed. And we are committed to finding reasonable solutions that allow us to do just that while also protecting the natural area and public uses of the Bluff. We believe this approach is consistent with City Park’s management of this property for informal trail use in a more natural setting.

    If you are interested in receiving periodic email project updates, please send your name and email to BluffProject@avistacorp.com.

    More Information

    To learn more about this project, please contact:
    • Melanie Rose, Regional Business Manager, at melanie.rose@avistacorp.com
    • Aaron Tremayne, Transmission Engineer, at aaron.tremayne@avistacorp.com

    Check back here for updates and additional engagement opportunities.

    • Our Commitment
    • Working at Avista
    • Integrated Resource Planning
    • Washington's Clean Energy Future
    • About Our Energy Mix
    • Our Rates and Tariffs
    • FERC Standards of Conduct and Price Reporting
    • Celebrate Our Rivers
    • Contact Us
    • Our Community
    • Construction Services
      • Natural Gas Availability
      • Requirements, Pricing, Permits
      • Development Criteria
      • Request a Construction Job
      • Current Avista Projects
      • Transmission Services
      • Street and Yard Light Programs
    • Smart Meters
    • Doing Business with Avista
    Your account

    Account summary

    Get help paying your bill

    Make a payment

    New customer information

    Understand your bill

    Your enrollments

    Moving?

    High / Low / Average

    New customer information

    Start, stop, transfer service

    Outages

    Check outage status

    Outage map

    Plan ahead for a power outage

    Report an electric outage

    Your home

    Activities for kids

    Find a home improvement contractor

    Furnace filter program

    Plant the right tree in the right place

    Rebates for your home

    Residential energy saving advice

    Your business

    Become a supplier or contractor

    Business improvement case studies

    Business rebates

    Energy saving tips for your business

    Get personalized business help

    Washington Clean Buildings Standards

    Safety

    Beware of scams

    Electric safety

    Natural gas safety

    Safety around dams

    Safety videos

    Tree pruning

    Wildfire resiliency

    Community

    Avista scholarships

    Beware of scams

    Meet up with us in the community

    Plan a trip along the river

    Green options

    Electric vehicles

    Go solar

    Renewable natural gas

    Support renewable energy

    Customer support

    Assistance programs

    Beware of scams

    File a claim

    Find a pay station

    Fuel cost comparison calculators

    Get help paying your bill

    Get services for your project

    New customer information

    About us

    About our energy mix

    Current Avista projects

    How we protect natural resources

    Meet your local managers

    Our commitment

    Rates and tariffs

    Give us a call

    Residential: (800) 227-9187

    Business: (800) 936-6629

    Hearing impaired: Dial 711

    Our phone lines are open

    7:00 am - 7:00 pm Monday - Friday

    9:00 am - 5:00 pm Saturday

    Mobile app
    Avista Apple Store Link Logo Avista Apple Store Link Logo Avista Play Store Link Logo Avista Play Store Link Logo
    Your account

    Account summary

    Get help paying your bill

    Make a payment

    New customer information

    Understand your bill

    Your enrollments

    Moving?

    High / Low / Average

    New customer information

    Start, stop, transfer service

    Outages

    Check outage status

    Outage map

    Plan ahead for a power outage

    Report an electric outage

    Your home

    Activities for kids

    Find a home improvement contractor

    Furnace filter program

    Plant the right tree in the right place

    Rebates for your home

    Residential energy saving advice

    Your business

    Become a supplier or contractor

    Business improvement case studies

    Business rebates

    Energy saving tips for your business

    Get personalized business help

    Washington Clean Buildings Standards

    Safety

    Beware of scams

    Electric safety

    Natural gas safety

    Safety around dams

    Safety videos

    Tree pruning

    Wildfire resiliency

    Community

    Avista scholarships

    Beware of scams

    Meet up with us in the community

    Plan a trip along the river

    Green options

    Electric vehicles

    Go solar

    Renewable natural gas

    Support renewable energy

    Customer support

    Assistance programs

    Beware of scams

    File a claim

    Find a pay station

    Fuel cost comparison calculators

    Get help paying your bill

    Get services for your project

    New customer information

    About us

    About our energy mix

    Current Avista projects

    How we protect natural resources

    Meet your local managers

    Our commitment

    Rates and tariffs

    Give us a call

    Residential: (800) 227-9187

    Business: (800) 936-6629

    Hearing impaired: Dial 711

    Our phone lines are open

    7:00 am - 7:00 pm Monday - Friday

    9:00 am - 5:00 pm Saturday

    Mobile app
    Avista Apple Store Link Logo Avista Apple Store Link Logo Avista Play Store Link Logo Avista Play Store Link Logo
    Avista Logo
    Contact Us Careers Connections Blog Investors ESG/Corporate Responsibility Policies, Guidelines & Hotline

    ©2023 Avista Corporation. All Rights Reserved

    ©2023 Avista Corporation. All Rights Reserved