A plan to park a massive lithium-ion battery storage facility right next to Snoqualmie Ridge is officially in King County’s permitting pipeline this week, even as nearby residents warn it is too close to homes and a busy city park. The developer says the project would quietly soak up surplus renewable power in rows of containerized batteries and send it back to the grid when demand spikes, while county staff now decide if the proposal can clear the rules.
What’s proposed and where it would sit
The project, from Texas-based Jupiter Power, would place a utility-scale battery energy storage system on roughly 45 acres just south of Fisher Creek Park, across Snoqualmie Parkway from Snoqualmie Ridge, according to KOMO News. That report notes King County was expected to receive the application on Monday and will handle the land-use and environmental review for the site.
Developer says safety is central
On its project site, Jupiter Power describes the plan as the Cascadia Ridge Resiliency Energy Storage project, a roughly 130-megawatt battery installation on up to 30 acres within a roughly 45-acre property, with a target construction window starting in 2027 and service by late 2028. The company’s materials say the layout would rely on containerized battery modules, thermal management, fire detection and suppression systems, and ongoing training for first responders as core parts of the safety strategy. (Cascadia Ridge.)
Neighbors say they’ve had little input
Local residents and Snoqualmie city leaders told community outlets they are uneasy about siting a large lithium-ion facility near neighborhoods, a park, and nearby streams, and they argue the project is advancing with limited local control because it sits in unincorporated King County. Snoqualmie City Councilmember Dan Murphy told a local site that placing a 42-acre battery facility "steps from homes, parks, businesses, and fish-bearing streams is an unacceptable risk." (Living Snoqualmie.)
How King County’s rules matter
County policy will shape the next phase. Last year, King County adopted an ordinance that updates how battery energy storage systems are handled in unincorporated areas, generally allowing them where zoning permits and setting safety and siting standards that must be met during review. The ordinance describes BESS projects as important for grid resilience while also recognizing the hazards they can pose and the need for mitigation under state and county requirements. (King County.)
Why fire risk looms large
Concerns about utility-scale lithium-ion storage are not theoretical. Federal and regional reviews point out that while battery fires are uncommon, they can be hard to put out and have led to evacuations elsewhere, including a widely covered BESS fire that prompted a large emergency response and air-quality monitoring in California. Federal guidance and incident summaries emphasize the need for robust containment, testing, and emergency planning when choosing locations and operating these systems. (EPA.)
Next steps: county review and public input
With the application now expected at King County, staff will first check whether the filing is complete, then post project documents to the county’s permit portal as they move through the process. If a State Environmental Policy Act review is required, that step will include public notice and a formal public comment period. The City of Snoqualmie has said it will submit its own comments to the county and is urging residents to use the King County permitting portal to review documents and file their concerns. (City of Snoqualmie.)
For now, the proposal highlights a familiar tension between broader grid reliability and neighborhood safety worries. County reviewers will have to sort through engineering details, hazard-mitigation plans, and environmental analysis before any permits are issued, while residents are preparing to make sure their objections show up in the official record.
