Puget Sound Energy completed construction on the new Four Corners substation Friday.

The substation is located at 27430 state Route 169 in Maple Valley. The $6.8 million substation will improve electric system reliability and increase capacity in the Maple Valley area.

“The completion of the Four Corners substation is an important upgrade to our infrastructure because it increases reliability for our existing customers and will help meet the future demand for electricity in the area,” Jim Hutchinson said, manager of local government and community relations for PSE. “Currently, customers in the area are served from our Black Diamond substation, which is 2.4 miles south on SR 169. Having the substation closer to the load it serves will improve reliability.”

Construction of the substation began in April of 2009 when crews worked to clear and grade the site. The project continued with the construction of the substation, connecting the substation to the transmission line, restoring the landscape and installing 1.1 miles of new underground electrical distribution feeder. The new substation has one 25 megawatt (MW) transformer and has space to add a second 25 MW transformer, which will allow PSE to double the capacity in the future without changing the substation footprint.

The utility expects to complete the final landscaping and frontage improvements by spring 2010.