Puget Sound Energy has been awarded a $40.2 million federal grant for a project to upgrade Western Washington’s electric transmission system. The utility plans to match the award, bringing the proposed investment to about $80.4 million. The project, called Project PULSE, is funded through the U.S. Department of Energy’s SPARK program. PSE says the work is intended to increase transmission capacity and improve reliability and resilience as electricity demand grows across the Puget Sound region. Plans call for upgrading about 23 miles of existing transmission lines in King and Kitsap counties, with improvements intended to strengthen service in South Kitsap and across the Kitsap Peninsula. The utility also plans to install 178 monitoring sensors along 323 miles of transmission lines in six Western Washington counties. The sensors are expected to provide real-time information about conditions on the system. More than 153,000 customers are expected to benefit, including facilities such as Naval Base Kitsap and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. PSE estimates that more than $21 million of the project’s investment would go toward work in Kitsap County. “This project will help us deliver more reliable power while moving more electricity across the transmission lines we already have,” PSE President and CEO Mary Kipp said. She said the work would add capacity and flexibility while avoiding costly infrastructure upgrades. PSE expects Project PULSE to be completed between 2027 and 2031, subject to finalizing the federal grant agreement. The company said it will continue working with local communities, governments and other stakeholders as the project advances.