A proposed lithium-ion battery storage facility near Fisher Creek park in the Snoqualmie Ridge area is on hold, according to a statement from the mayor.Jupiter
A proposed lithium-ion battery storage facility near Fisher Creek Park in the Snoqualmie Ridge area is on hold, according to a statement from the mayor.
Jupiter Power is looking to build a 45-acre lithium-ion battery energy storage system on unincorporated King County land, located across Snoqualmie Pkwy from Snoqualmie Ridge.
The project would use containers to store surplus electricity—often generated from renewable sources like solar and wind—and then send that energy back into the power grid.
Snoqualmie Mayor James Mayhew said Jupiter Power requested the hold, telling KOMO News in a written statement that the project would connect into a Puget Sound Energy substation located on a parcel of city-regulated wetlands.
In a statement, Mayhew said: “Jupiter will tie into the Puget Sound Energy substation on a parcel within the City of Snoqualmie, and that parcel does have wetlands with associated regulations including setbacks. Details of that portion of the project and what might be proposed for the parcel within the City have not yet been provided. If any portion of this proposal is subject to City permitting, the necessary City approval would need to be obtained as part of the permitting process. The City currently has a moratorium in place regarding accepting or processing applications related to battery energy storage system projects."
Some residents who live nearby said they are celebrating a pause in the application process.
“We're hopeful that Jupiter finds the right place to do that. We don't feel that that's here,” said Sarah Carter, who lives in the Snoqualmie Ridge area.
People who live nearby said they are worried about the potential for lithium-ion battery fires and what they describe as limited public input.
“I would love to see a way to have clean energy, but at the risk of cutting down trees and putting a fire hazard to a place that has high winds,” Fred Ali, who lives near the proposed site, said.
For months, hundreds of Snoqualmie residents have been rallying to stop Jupiter Power and the county from building the facility.
“We're hoping that King County and the King County officials will listen to what the communities are giving feedback on,” said Melody Correia, president of Snoqualmie Valley for Responsible Energy.
KOMO News reached out to Jupiter Power but has not heard back.
