Why a Battery Storage Proposal Is Being Considered and What Happens Next

[Guest post by James Mayhew, Mayor of Snoqualmie. You may submit letters to [email protected].]

Many Snoqualmie residents are asking why a battery energy storage facility is being proposed near Snoqualmie, why it is being considered, and what residents can do about it.

The proposed facility is not located within the City of Snoqualmie. It is located in unincorporated King County, where King County makes the land use and permitting decisions rather than the City. The most important decisions affecting projects like this are often made long before a specific application is filed, because the greatest opportunity to influence these projects occurs when regulations are being written: determining what types of facilities are allowed, where they may be located, and under what conditions.

For these types of facilities in King County, that work largely occurred during 2023 and 2024. By July 2024, the King County Council was considering where battery energy storage facilities should be permitted and under what standards, and in October 2024 the County adopted the regulations that now govern them.

Like many residents, I was not aware of these County regulatory changes and their significance to Snoqualmie until this proposal emerged earlier this year, after Jupiter Power had filed its initial application with King County in December 2025. By that point, the regulations had already been adopted, and the process had shifted from shaping the rules to evaluating proposals under them. A moratorium can be an effective tool when adopted by the jurisdiction that controls the regulations governing a proposal, but this proposal is located in unincorporated King County, not within Snoqualmie city limits, so any moratorium affecting it would have to occur at King County.

The City is actively engaged in environmental review, preparing and submitting comments into the record, engaging with regional agencies, evaluating additional areas where the City may have influence regarding the proposal, and representing community concerns within the process. Community groups, residents, and individuals are also organizing, advocating, and submitting comments and concerns for consideration as part of the proposal’s evaluation.

At the time King County was developing these regulations, Snoqualmie’s Planning Department had been significantly reduced, and the City was not consistently monitoring and engaging in emerging County and State land use issues before they became active proposals affecting the community. As a result, this issue was never brought forward to the Snoqualmie City Council, was not included in the City’s legislative priorities, and did not become part of broader community discussion while King County was developing the regulations that now govern these facilities. Those staffing reductions reflected broader budget decisions made over a number of years, including efforts to avoid increasing property taxes in line with inflation. One consequence was that the City was less engaged in regional and state land use discussions while these regulations were being developed.

The City will continue to participate in the King County review process alongside the many residents and community groups who are engaged on this issue. Snoqualmie should also restore the capacity to consistently monitor, analyze, and engage in regional and state policy discussions before they become active proposals affecting the community. That capacity matters not only for this issue, but for the long-term ability of the community to help shape its future.