PSE’s So Called ‘Missing Link’ Transmission Line Project May Soon Be in the Offing

Even if you’ve only had just a rudimentary taste of anthropology, you probably have heard the phrase, “the missing link”.

During the height Charles Darwin’s popularity and his then controversial take on evolution, this non-scientific term arose in discussions about where we modern humanoids fit into our supposed ascent from apes to what we are now. More scientifically speaking, and according to our online searches, the missing link represented the hypothetical extinct creature halfway in the evolutionary line between modern human beings and their anthropoid progenitors.

In the latter half of the 19th century, a common misinterpretation of Darwin’s work was that humans were lineally descended from existing species of apes. Today, the term “missing link” is described more or less as some sort of transitional fossil. It is often used in popular science and in the media for any new transitional life form.

Pivot if you will to Bainbridge Island, where our City Leaders are discussing a more localized “missing link” in the form of a proposed electrical transmission line that would significantly improve the island’s power grid.  The city recently received a letter from Puget Sound Energy in response to an earlier letter the City sent to PSE regarding the utility’s transmission line projects – specifically the “missing link” transmission line between the Winslow and Murden Cove Substations.

The so-called “missing link” transmission line is “a critical component of PSE’s plan to improve electric service reliability, reducing the frequency and duration of power outages for customers on Bainbridge Island.,” City officials noted in a recent release.

Right now, two substations that serve two-thirds of the island, do not have backup transmission lines. PSE said it is planning to build the new “missing link” transmission line between the Winslow and Murden Cove substations to create a transmission loop. This means each substation will be connected to two transmission lines. In effect, if one line goes out, the other line can still feed the substation and provide power to customers.

Viola. Instant backup!

According to the city authorities, PSE is expected to make a formal announcement on its preferred “missing link” route on Tuesday Nov. 30.

Stay tuned!