James Mayhew

Why a Battery Storage Proposal Is Being Considered and What Happens Next Many Snoqualmie residents are asking why a battery energy storage facility is being proposed near Snoqualmie, why it is being considered, and what

𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

The City has been informed that an application for the proposed battery energy storage facility will be submitted to King County tomorrow.

The City is not the permitting authority for this proposal. The application will be reviewed through King County’s permitting process.

Filings of this scale are likely to include a large volume of materials. We expect that documents will be posted to King County’s permit portal as they are processed, with additional materials added over the following days. Residents can review these materials through the King County permitting portal (https://aca-prod.accela.com/kingco). The applicant is also expected to make the application and supporting materials available through its own website, which may likewise be updated in stages.

The City will submit comments as part of King County’s process, alongside input we expect will be provided directly by residents. Those comments will be based on a review of the application materials as they become available, leveraging outside technical and legal expertise, and will focus on clearly communicating community concerns in the County’s process.

Under King County’s review process, public notice and comment opportunities are expected as the application and environmental review move forward, including public notice of any State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) threshold determination. The SEPA review may include an environmental impact statement. Exact timing will depend on King County’s completeness determination, processing, and environmental review.

Residents are encouraged to review the application materials and submit comments directly to King County. The City will continue to share information as it becomes available.

Many of us in Snoqualmie are concerned about the battery energy storage project proposed adjacent to our city, including its safety, proximity to homes, and whether this use fits with the long-term vision and plan for this area. I believe these concerns are reasonable.

Our comprehensive plan anticipates residential, mixed use, and employment uses here over time. A large-scale battery facility is a very different use, and it is appropriate to question whether it belongs in this location. Based on what we know today, it appears inconsistent with how this area has been planned for long-term integration into the city.

There are a couple of principles that matter here. Property owners and applicants have the right to bring forward proposals. At the same time, residents have the right to raise concerns and have those concerns heard through a regulatory process designed to ensure safety, environmental protection, and land use compatibility, and to allow only projects that meet those standards. I understand the frustration that this process is at the county level rather than within Snoqualmie and can feel more distant from our community. I am encouraged by how engaged Snoqualmie residents have been and the clarity of the concerns being raised.

If the developer proceeds with this proposal, it is critical that the process is fair, fact-based, and free from bias. That is how we protect the integrity of the outcome and ensure that residents and the city have a meaningful voice. If we don’t, it limits our ability to influence the result.

I also want to address something that does not represent our community. A flyer has been circulated that uses racist imagery and publishes the home address of a local property owner.
While multiple property owners are involved, only one was singled out: a single woman living with her daughter on a rural parcel. Publishing someone’s home address in this context puts a member of our community at risk. Strong concerns about a project should be directed at the project, not at a person.

For residents who want to make a difference, this project will be reviewed through the county process, and that process has teeth. Environmental review, public comment, and hearings all become part of the official record, and that record drives decisions. If you want to be effective:

• Focus on this location and why you believe it does not fit
• Use clear, fact-based input tied to safety, environment, and land use for this proposal, grounded in current standards and the specifics of this project
• Participate in official comment periods and hearings
• Keep it constructive so your input carries weight

As mayor, public safety is my top priority, and both I and the city council are following this closely. The city will engage at the appropriate points to ensure our plans and interests are understood, and resident input is central to that process. Please be cautious about information that is designed to inflame rather than inform. Not everything being circulated is accurate or helpful.

Our community can support clean energy and still be thoughtful about where projects are sited. We can hold both, and we will continue to share information as this moves forward so residents can stay informed and engaged.

Mayor James Mayhew
City of Snoqualmie