Snoqualmie residents continue to speak out and organize against the proposed Cascadia Ridge Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project. Recently, Snoqualmie Valley for Responsible Energy (SVRE) announced that it had formally registered as a 501 (c)(4) non-profit civic advocacy organization. The non-profit was started by the citizen action group, Snoqualmie Valley Residents for Responsible Energy, which is fighting the project.
Over 2,000 people have signed a petition against Jupiter Power’s proposed site for the project in the urban growth area of unincorporated King County, which sits directly adjacent to Snoqualmie city limits and densely populated neighborhoods. The forested site is also located half a mile from an elementary school, adjacent to the popular Fisher Creek Park, near Fisher Creek, which drains into the Snoqualmie River watershed, and close to Snoqualmie businesses.
The project site also lies in a section of the King County Urban Growth Area (UGA) designated to accommodate Snoqualmie’s future growth, which is why state law requires that the city’s Comprehensive Plan address what types of uses should be on it in the coming decades. Snoqualmie’s comprehensive plan envisions mixed-use and master-planned business park uses on this UGA land, as it has been identified as the most buildable and suitable to help Snoqualmie to meet its required housing and jobs growth targets.
County Controls Project Permitting
Even though Snoqualmie residents would be the most impacted by Jupiter Power’s proposed project, the site lies in unincorporated King County, so all review and permitting decisions rest with the County. The city said it is listening to residents and has stated repeatedly that it will monitor the King County process and participate where it can most effectively address community concerns. It has also hired an outside land use attorney to consider available options. The city is also encouraging residents to participate in the county process to ensure their voices are heard by the agency with permitting authority.
Residents Descend on Council Meeting Despite Mayor’s Statement
Even in the face of a formal statement from Snoqualmie Mayor James Mayhew saying the council has heard their comments on the BESS project and asking residents reduce repeated public comment on the topic to allow council to conduct its regular business, Council Chambers were again completely filled with residents at the April 13 meeting where public comment about the BESS project, most in opposition, stretched for about 40 minutes.
Council Motion Voted Down
Councilmember Katherine Cotton made a motion during the meeting for the Council to go on record with a formal request to agencies involved in permitting that the BESS project site warrants a full environmental study, including a Determination of Significance and a full Environmental Impact Statement.
Cotton said, “I think that this is the least we can do. [It] doesn’t set us up for legal maneuvering, but lets our community know we are listening and we will be acting at the appropriate times.”
Cotton’s motion failed to gain majority support, with Councilmembers Cotton and Murphy voting in favor and Councilmembers Holloway, Washington, and Johnson opposed. The Councilmembers who opposed expressed that such a motion could show bias and limit future legal options the city might have regarding the project. Councilmember Johnson explained that without all the needed information he had concerns that an action now may come with ramifications that close doors to future options.
Johnson said, “I don’t think we’re ready for this yet, but we could be at some point in the future.”
Councilmember Murphy commented, “I support the motion. I think opportunities for the city to weigh in a fair way with the permitting bodies is a prudent step we can take that falls within process.”
Murphy went on to say, “Understanding all the concerns we’ve heard related to bias and some of the legal discussions, I still think we have an important and legitimate policy making function here. And I think we have to carefully consider policy that protects our residents and city from harm. We’re here to govern.”
Special Council Meeting on BESS Scheduled
During the April 13 meeting, the Council set a special meeting for Thursday, April 16, 2026, at 6 pm to discuss potential BESS Land Use in Unincorporated King County. It is expected that the outside land use attorney the city hired will attend the special meeting.
BESS Project Ignites Community Concerns
Public and environmental safety are significant concerns for residents, including a documented fire probability of 8.6% for BESS facilities. When lithium-ion cells catch fire, they produce hydrogen fluoride gas that impacts surrounding areas, as with two recent BESS fires in California. There are also concerns of noise pollution and light impacts.
Snoqualmie Valley for Responsible Energy contends that the project’s proposed location fails to meet adequate safety standards and poses unacceptable fire and environmental risks to the surrounding community.
“Clean energy should not come at the cost of public safety. We have formed this organization to fight the inappropriate siting of this project at every turn,” said Danielle Wallace, President of SVRE. “We will be here through every permit filing, every public hearing, and every point of the process—until this project is stopped entirely.”
Watch the YouTube video of this meeting HERE.
