Fishermen's Terminal Electrical Upgrade Under Way

Port of Seattle's $7 Million Project Replaces Decades-Old Power Supply System, Adds Capacity

Imagine living in a 90-year-old house that's had new rooms added over the decades. Each time a new room is added, the original wiring system has to be tweaked slightly to bring additional power on line. Now imagine completely rewiring that house while still living in it.

That's what's happening at Fishermen's Terminal, home to much of the North Pacific's fishing fleet. Some of Fishermen's Terminal's electrical system dates back to Woodrow Wilson's presidency; in fact, there are 33 separate points of service coming in to the Ballard facility and there isn't enough capacity for future growth.

The Port of Seattle has begun a long-awaited upgrade of the power supply system, a project that will bring a consolidated, higher-voltage underground distribution system into Fishermen's Terminal. The $7.14 million improvement project means better service to the businesses within Fishermen's Terminal, and to the fishing vessels homeported there, said Fishermen's Terminal General Manager Jim Serrill.

"The newer generation of distant water fishing boats are big and need more electricity. There are fewer small "Mom and Pop" boats, and more of the large catcher/processor boats," Serrill said. "Larger vessels have larger demands for electricity and put a strain on the power system. This upgrade will also ensure enough electrical capacity to accommodate our customers' future growth."

Improving the power supply will mean a few temporary changes in traffic patterns within the facility, particularly when trenches are being dug for new cable. Other work includes installation of two new Seattle City Light outdoor primary unit substations, and nine Port of Seattle owned outdoor secondary unit substations. Power will be delivered to docks buildings via underground low voltage lines.

The project was designed by Elcon Associates, with input from Seattle City Light and US West. Intermountain Electric of Bellevue is doing the work, which will be completed by March of next year.