Public Works Board approves PUD feasibility study grant The Washington State Public Works Board has awarded the Grays Harbor PUD a $50,000 grant to study the feasibility of expanding the PUD fiber network in East Grays Harbor County. In all, nine applicants were selected to receive a total of $450,000 for broadband planning-feasibility studies. The Grays Harbor study will look into a project to extend the fiber network from Sund Road in South Elma to the Cedarville substation and the surrounding area, Porter, the City of Oakville and the Chehalis Tribal Center. When built, it will benefit emergency responders, cities, schools and residents by bringing improved broadband services to the area. In a statement from the Public Works Board released on Monday, board chair Scott Hutsell said, “This is another step toward accomplishing the governor’s vision of all Washington residents being served with quality broadband access. In our modern society, access to broadband internet is a vital resource that touches all aspects of life from personal health and safety to education and economic welfare.”
