State Public Works Board Denies PUD Grant Request for Broadband Expansion

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The Lewis County Public Utility District was notified on Friday that its proposed broadband expansion project was not selected to be awarded grant funding from the state Public Works Board.

There were approximately 30 applicants and only the top seven, based on application scores, were awarded funds — the PUD came in at number 9 on the list. In this funding cycle, about $17 million was available and the Public Works Board received grant requests totaling $76 million, according to Lewis County Manager Erik Martin, who serves on the Public Works Board.

“I think the PUD prepared a strong Public Works Board proposal to begin addressing the need for broadband in currently unserved and underserved areas. But the need for broadband across the state has created fierce competition for very limited construction grant funds,” said the PUD’s Public Affairs Manager Willie Painter. 

The proposed project planned to expand backbone fiber from Chehalis to Pe Ell — passing about 975 PUD customers. The requested amount was $4,885,332.

Painter said that the PUD is committed to finding ways to fund the expansion of broadband in Lewis County.



“We will continue seeking state and federal grant opportunities that are critical to funding this work,” Painter said.

The PUD conducted a survey in late 2019 and found that nearly 98 percent of those who took the survey feel that internet service is an essential utility but only 22.8 percent have broadband internet speeds.

The PUD encourages the citizens of Lewis County to contact their state and federal legislators to share how their family or business is impacted by the lack of reliable internet access and request that legislators prioritize funding broadband expansion.