ARLINGTON—Replacing the Snohomish County Public Utilities District (PUD) offices in Stanwood and Arlington that were seismically deficient, the new $43.5 million North County Office Complex is now open. The new centralized location will serve north Marysville, Arlington, Darrington, Stanwood and Camano Island. PUD will continue to accept drop-box payments at its former Stanwood office location until June 1.
“Being able to respond quickly and efficiently after a natural disaster is of critical importance to the PUD,” said Snohomish PUD Commissioner for District 1, President Sid Logan. “This morning on the 11th anniversary of the Oso landslide, Darrington Mayor Dan Rankin will share his community’s perspective on the importance of quick staff to response. We knew when we constructed this facility that the safety of our crews and our customers would be our top priority. This building is designed to withstand a major earthquake. Its proximity to the Arlington microgrid allows us to “island” the building so that it remains functional and energized during major storm events or other disasters so it can better serve you.”
PUD Chief Executive Officer and General Manager John Haarlow shared that the new North County Operations Center will increase response times to the Marysville and Tulalip areas, which are currently being served from the Everett Operations Center near Boeing.
“Planning, construction, and occupying this building was an incredible achievement and I’m hoping that you all can join me in big round of applause for all the men and women of Team PUD who had a role in bringing our vision to the North County Community Office center to life for our customers,” said Haarlow.
The campus includes an onsite 12,000-square-foot warehouse, modern loading facilities, a two-story, 25,900-square-foot office building with rentable community meeting spaces (available August 4), a lineman training yard, and a community solar array farm connected to a microgrid.
The warehouse structure includes 105 solar panels that will provide at least 53.8 megawatt-hours annually towards powering the campus. PUD has seven warehouses throughout Snohomish County operated by a team of 33 who manage $75 million of inventory. PUD houses some 4.5 million individual pieces for 1,500 products.
The building on the campus were designed and constructed to LEED Gold standard by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED certification provides independent verification of sustainable design and is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement.
“As we celebrate this new structure and this new campus and the innovation that comes along with it, it’s reassurance how we will perform as a community going forward throughout our future, which is non-chartable,” said Darrington Mayor Rankin.
Stanwood Mayor Sid Roberts shared how PUD is investing in improving reliability and resiliency of the electric grid for future generations.
“When I was a kid, you know, we had three or four things you’d plug in, and one TV, and we didn’t need a bunch of electrical power. Now we need a lot. And I’m really grateful that PUD is doing what they need to do to stay up ahead of the curve,” said Mayor Roberts.
Roberts continued,” My point today is simply this: there’s never been a greater time than now that robust, reliable electric grid is needed. The continued investment by Snohomish County PUD in infrastructure and technology in North Snohomish County will increase that resiliency and reliability, and that will benefit all the people in unincorporated Snohomish County, it’ll benefit Stanwood, and it’ll benefit our friends on Camano Island. And that is something today we can celebrate.”
Don Vanney, Mayor of Arlington shared that PUD has been pivotal to the rapid growth in his city’s economic development.
“This project has spurred economic growth and development and innovation in the community of our Cascade Industrial Center…. The site itself is an example of those principles coming to fruition,” said Mayor Vanney. “The city has been part of the PUD’s journey at this very site since its beginning. The city has been part of the PUD’s journey at this very time since its creation, completing its own early support for microgrid at the beginning of September 2022. The innovative Arlington microgrid and future battery storage projects are all examples of how the City’s commitment to partnership as well as collaboration and regional projects provide new ideas to grow and serve our communities.”
Starting Monday, March 24, seven Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations will be available to the public in the main parking lot of the new building. Another 10 charging stations have been installed on the campus to support PUD’s continued expansion of its electric vehicle fleet.
Arlington Microgrid
A first for the PUD is its community solar array and battery storage project called the “Arlington microgrid.” The microgrid serves as an emergency backup system when the main electrical grid is down. This will enhance response during natural disasters.
The Arlington microgrid consists of a 500-kilowatt solar array with smart inverters, a 1,000 kW/1,400 kWh lithium-ion battery storage system, 10 vehicle-to-grid charging stations for the PUD’s electric fleet, a Clean Energy Center, and a solar tree.
The total cost of the microgrid project was $12 million of which $3.5 million in funding was provided by the Washington Clean Energy Fund.
Residents or any school can book a tour of the Arlington microgrid by contacting PUD at 425-783-1000.
Why work for PUD?
Dwayne the Warehouse Foreman at the new site shared with the Lynnwood Times that for the last 20-and-a-half years, he has loved working for PUD.
“I like the people I work with. I like the customers, and I like the community,” he said.
Claudio, who has been with PUD for the last two years and is the Warehouse Manager at the Arlington campus, shared that not only his team is great, but he loves the service PUD provides to its customers.
“The work culture at PUD is great,” he said. “We put our customers first and that’s the most important thing.”
What are elected officials saying about PUD’s new North County Campus?
Washington State Representative Sam Low (R-Lake Stevens): “I appreciate the strong turnout by the community at this new PUD facility. Snohomish PUD is a statewide leader in community response during emergencies and this new facility will definitely help the 39th District and surrounding communities get faster help and support when they need it most!”
Snohomish County Council President Nate Nehring (R-Arlington): “This new North County Community Office will be a valuable asset for all residents. The PUD does great work in Snohomish County, and I am grateful for their commitment to serving our community.”
Snohomish County PUD Commissioner Julieta Altamirano-Crosby: “Our new North County Office complex has a focus on community with a 75-capacty meeting space for local residents to use. The microgrid provides a great opportunity for students and residents to learn about clean energy and how PUD provides reliable energy.”
Notable attendees for Saturday’s event were Matt Hartman, Mayor of Granite Falls; Arlington City Council Members Jan Schuette, Heather Logan and Yvonne Gallardo; Arlington City Administrator Paul Ellis, Sanford City Administrator Sean Smith, Marysville City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton, and Granite Falls City Administrator Brent Kirk; Wil Johnson, Snohomish County Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, and Economic Alliance of Snohomish County CEO, Ray Stephenson.
The North County Office Complex was partially funded by both federal and state grants.
Author: Mario Lotmore
