Chelan PUD weighs transmission corridors in wildfire prevention

WENATCHEE — From the road, they can look like long, quiet clearings cut through the trees, following the path of high-voltage lines across the hills.

For Chelan County Public Utility District commissioners, those corridors became the focus of a broader conversation about wildfire prevention and infrastructure during an April 6 meeting.

Transmission corridors are the stretches of land kept clear beneath and alongside major power lines, allowing electricity to move safely across long distances. How wide those corridors are, and how they are maintained, can play a role in reducing the risk of trees or debris contacting lines.

Commissioner Carnan Bergren said a recent look at local infrastructure highlighted a contrast in how those corridors are managed.

“When you look at the Bonneville [Power Administration] right-of-way, it’s cleared right down to the ground and wide and huge,” Bergren said. “And then you look at our own, and it’s very confined. It’s very narrow.”

Bergren said the difference stood out during a tour of transmission lines and raised questions about whether wider clearances could help reduce wildfire risk.

“It’s just ripe for something to happen there as far as trees and whatnot falling on the line,” he said.

Expanding those corridors could mean more aggressive vegetation removal, including clearing trees beyond the immediate footprint of the lines and maintaining wider buffer zones along transmission routes.

Chelan PUD officials said similar work has already begun in some areas.

During the same discussion, General Manager Kirk Hudson said the district had recently increased efforts to remove “danger trees” outside of existing right-of-way areas with support from federal partners.

That work is part of a broader push to reduce wildfire risk, which has become a growing focus for utilities across the region.

Government Affairs Program Manager Kelli Scott said the state restored funding this year for wildfire mitigation programs after previous cuts, following advocacy from utilities and other groups.

“We have seen really positive outcomes here locally with partner groups doing forest health work,” Scott said.

At the same time, Scott said larger questions about wildfire liability and long-term prevention strategies remain unresolved at the state level, and Chelan PUD expects to take part in ongoing discussions.

Bergren said transmission corridors, already a visible part of the landscape, should be part of that conversation moving forward.

“It should be part of the strategy,” he said.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media