The city council voted to send a letter to King County and Puget Sound Energy leaders after backlash from neighbors over the proposed facility.
SNOQUALMIE, Wash. — The Snoqualmie City Council is asking King County and Puget Sound Energy (PSE) to reconsider a proposed lithium-ion battery storage facility that has prompted backlash and safety concerns from neighbors.
At a special meeting Wednesday, the council voted to send a letter to King County Executive Girmay Zahilay, the King County Council, PSE CEO Mary Kipp, and Matt Perry, the local government affairs and public policy manager for PSE.
“We encourage consideration of alternate locations within the Puget Sound Energy transmission and distribution system to better address the concerns that have been raised, including locations with greater separation from residential areas and sensitive uses,” the letter reads in part.
During the meeting, councilmember Louis Washington said Jupiter Power, the project’s developer, has filed for a permit with King County, but added that the council has not seen the details in the proposal yet.
Following the permit filing, King County staff will first review the application for completeness before scheduling a public comment period.
On Sunday, hundreds of people in Snoqualmie protested the plan for the battery storage facility, saying they are worried about fires and environmental issues.
Councilmember Robert Wotton thanked residents for speaking up.
“There are obviously a lot of concerns for our community, and rightfully so, and please continue to be involved,” Wotton said during Wednesday’s meeting. “Know that the city and the fellow councilmembers, as well as the mayor, take your comments, your input, very seriously.”
Jupiter Power published a response to the community’s concerns on its website. The company says fires at battery storage sites dropped 97% between 2018 and 2023 due to safety upgrades.
It also cites studies showing fires at similar facilities found no long-term environmental impacts.
Jupiter Power previously told KING 5 the project will comply with all relevant local, state and federal fire codes, use only UL-tested equipment, and be monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week, down to the battery module level. The company also said it plans to partner with local fire agencies on site-specific emergency response plans.
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