Queen Anne Underground Cable Replacement
Project Description
There are four miles of direct-buried underground cable that serves Queen Anne. We’re splitting the cable replacement up into two phases:
- In Phase 1, crews will replace 2.5 miles of cable. This replacement encompasses the equipment with the greatest number of failures.
- Phase 2 will cover the remaining length of cable and equipment.
Splitting the project into two phases allows us to address frequently failing infrastructure first while spreading costs out over time.
Crews will install new duct banks, conduits, streetlights, and vaults along the construction area. Seattle Public Utilities will also upgrade sections of the neighborhood’s water systems during civil construction. Once underground civil construction is complete, City Light crews will install new cables for the electrical distribution system.
What's Happening Now?
Project Update (June 2026): Thank you to those who were able to attend the Queen Anne Community Council meeting on June 10. At the meeting, we discussed key parts of the upcoming cable replacement project and answered questions from neighbors.
If you weren't able to attend, you can find the meeting recording, slides, and answers to frequently asked questions below.
Please join our email list to receive periodic construction updates. As we move forward with design and permitting, you can expect us to send updates in:
- October 2026
- January 2027
- April 2027
- July 2027
About a month before construction starts, we'll hold a virtual community meeting to talk about construction resources and impacts. All neighbors within the project area will receive an invitation to the pre-construction meeting.
During construction, we will send monthly progress updates via email.
Location
Construction will occur in the lower Queen Anne area.
Community Benefits
This work will result in enhanced electrical reliability and reduce the likelihood of unplanned power outages in the Queen Anne area. Each phase will improve reliability for the entire project area.
Schedule
Phase 1: We expect to start construction in the mid-2027.
Phase 2: We expect to start construction before 2030. This start date will be heavily dependent on the progress of Phase 1 and the coordination of construction impacts.
Anticipated Impacts
- The contractor may work in multiple locations at a time.
- Customers can expect temporary parking and traffic restrictions. The contractor will work to limit traffic impacts.
- Construction will require sections of roadway in the construction zone to be closed to traffic while construction is in progress.
- Power outages will be required to complete the work safely. We will notify affected residents in advance before any planned power outages.
- Trenching for conduits will occur in the public right-of-way (e.g., street and planting strips). Crews will cover trenches with steel plates outside of construction work hours.
- The contractor will work closely with the City of Seattle to protect trees and mitigate any removals.
- All affected streets and landscaping will be restored and repaved, per City of Seattle standards.
- Driveway access to houses closest to the construction will be limited during working hours.
- Vehicles will be able to pass during non-working hours.
- The project will not cause interruption to mail delivery or garbage/recycling/yard waste services.
- Private service connections to homes are not included in this work. If homeowners would like to upgrade their property’s electrical service, they will need to submit an electrical service request. Please review our electrical service guidance for more information.
Project Resources
Virtual Community Meeting - June 10, 2026
Please review the frequently asked questions and answers we discussed during the community meeting.
Enroll in our life support equipment program
The safety of our customers and the communities we serve is our top priority. If you or someone in your home is dependent on life support equipment, we provide assistance to help maintain safety during planned and unplanned outages. Please review our life support equipment program information to learn more and enroll in the program if needed.
Consider purchasing a generator
If you decide purchasing a generator would help meet your electrical needs until the cable replacement project is complete, please review our generator safety information.
Request reimbursement for damages relating to outages
If you believe the City of Seattle is at fault for an incident or accident resulting in loss, injury or damages to you, you can file a claim requesting reimbursement.
Unplanned power outage impacts
Why do outages happen?
Queen Anne’s direct-buried cable is fed by an overhead system connected to a nearby substation. The power outages in your neighborhood can be caused by either the underground or overhead portion of the system.
Direct-buried cable presents additional challenges for restoration. This is because direct-buried cable is essentially hidden, making visual inspection impossible and increasing the restoration time. With overhead cable, it’s often easier for crews to visually inspect the cable, determine the cause of the outage, and restore power.
No matter where the event originated, you can expect our crews to continue safely restoring unplanned power outages as quickly as possible when needed. This includes before, during, and after construction for the Queen Anne Underground Cable Replacement Project.
How do City Light crews restore power outages?
Crews respond to power outages 24/7. Outages that occur at the feeder level affect a large area and are isolated through switching to refeed customers and restore power where possible. For more information, please visit our outage restoration web page.
Will City Light provide reimbursement for generators, hotels, or other actions residents might take to minimize outage impacts?
We do not provide reimbursement or subsidies for generators or hotel expenses. However, to help minimize outage impacts, we’re exploring coordination with City partners, such as Seattle Parks and Recreation, to identify warming or cooling facilities that could be made available during extended unplanned outages. We will share more information as these plans develop.
How does City Light ensure that the outage data matches the actual outages experienced by neighbors?
The data we have is from the feeder level. This is the highest level of data that should capture all outages experienced at the household level. If you feel like we are not capturing a specific outage duration, please report it to SCL_CommOutreach@seattle.gov.
I’m considering purchasing a generator. What do I need to know?
If you decide purchasing a generator would help minimize the impact of power outages for your household, please review our generator safety information.
Construction and planned outages
Can City Light speed up the timeline to construction?
We are working to accelerate parts of the design and permitting processes where possible while maintaining quality. This includes partnering with internal City departments like Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle Department of Transportation, and Finance and Administrative Services (contracting).
The design for Phase 1 of the Queen Anne Underground Cable Replacement Project is well underway. We are finalizing engineering designs as quickly as possible while maintaining quality. The design process and associated coordination is critical to minimize impact on other utilities, trees and root zones, and other critical infrastructure, as well as to ensure the design meets all required codes and design guidelines.
Procurement for engineering services for Phase 2 of the project is also underway. As with Phase 1, we will proceed with our engineering designs as quickly as possible while maintaining quality.
How will City Light coordinate planned outages during construction, and what is the anticipated maximum duration of any single planned outage?
As construction wraps up, we will schedule planned outages so that crews can safely switch over your power to the new system. Affected customers will receive a door hanger before each planned outage with more information. We typically notify affected customers at least five days before any planned outages.
These planned outages can range in length based on the work that needs to be done. Typically, underground cable planned outages have lasted around 10 hours and are usually restored before the 10 hours is reached.
How will City Light communicate progress with neighbors and ensure the project stays on track?
Before construction, all customers in the project area, including renters, will receive an invitation in the mail to attend a pre-construction community meeting and sign up for our project email list. We will use this email list during construction to send monthly progress updates.
Has City Light selected a contractor?
We have an engineering design consultant already working on this project. After the design is complete, we will move through the process to hire a construction contractor.
General project questions
Will City Light reconsider who is included in Phase 1 after reviewing outage history provided by residents?
While we do consider the outages you and your neighbors experience, the equipment itself is the focus for Phase 1. We’re replacing the equipment that fails most often first, which will help decrease outages across the entire project area after Phase 1.
How was the Phase 1 project area decided?
In 2010, we started a project known as cable injection to extend the life of some of the direct-buried cable throughout our service area. Phase 1 encompasses the equipment that we were not able to work on in 2010. Today, this equipment fails more often than the injected cables. Replacing the equipment that fails most often first will help decrease outages across the entire Phase 1 and 2 project areas.
What happens to the old system?
Once crews install the new underground equipment, we will schedule planned power outages to safely switch your home’s service from the old system to the new system. During the outage, crews will physically separate the old, de-energized cables from the new system. They will then leave the old cables in the ground. Removing them would add significant extra cost for construction and risk to other existing underground utilities and trees.
Once the cables are separated from the system, they are labeled as “abandoned” within our records. “Abandonment in place” of public utilities that are no longer in service is standard practice for public works projects including electrical, water, gas, and other utilities.