Two of the battery energy storage system (BESS) projects proposed in Skagit County — Goldeneye near Sedro-Woolley and NextEra near Mount Vernon — will be the subject of public meetings on Dec. 18 and Dec. 20, respectively.
Anticipated demand for electricity ushered in by state energy policy and the transition away from fossil fuels has spurred an influx of proposals from private companies to build large battery farms, several of which could be sited in Skagit County.
Goldeneye is a 200-megawatt BESS proposed by Nebraska-based company Tenaska on private land next to the PSE substation in Sedro-Woolley. Because of its location on pasture land next to a salmon-bearing tributary creek, Goldeneye has garnered significant local opposition, with elected officials and community members expressing concerns about safety and environmental impact.
Tenaska opted to go through the state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) permitting process rather than seeking approval from Skagit County. The council is made up of state agency officials and makes recommendations to the governor’s office on major energy facility projects.
On Aug. 13, EFSEC held a public hearing on whether the Goldeneye proposal is allowed by Skagit County development regulations and has now released its draft order of land use consistency. The order finds that the Goldeneye project is not prohibited by Skagit County code. The order goes on to clarify that the determination is “neither an endorsement nor an approval of the project,” and that it considers only the site, not construction or operations.
EFSEC will hold its monthly meeting at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18 in Olympia and virtually on Microsoft Teams (visit efsec.wa.gov to join the meeting). The agenda includes a project update on Goldeneye and the council could make a final decision on the project’s land use consistency.
EFSEC will not take public comment during the meeting. Comment must be submitted in writing to EFSEC at least three business days prior to the meeting through comments.efsec.wa.gov/.
This will not be the last opportunity for the public to comment on Goldeneye — if EFSEC does determine the project is in compliance with Skagit’s land use code, the process then moves on to State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review, which also requires public and stakeholder input.
Meanwhile, NextEra Energy Resources has applied to build a 200-megawatt system west of Mount Vernon near the Port of Skagit on land zoned for heavy industrial uses. That project, located on 22.5 acres in the Bayview Ridge Urban Growth Area, is proceeding through the local permitting process rather than the EFSEC process. The Skagit County planning department completed a SEPA review of the project in June 2024 and issued a Mitigated Determination of Nonsignificance.
In early November, the Board of Skagit County Commissioners approved a code amendment prohibiting new electrical energy generation and storage on agricultural land. The code change does not apply to the NextEra project nor the Goldeneye project; the NextEra project is proposed for industrial land, and the Goldeneye project was proposed before the amendment went into effect.
The Skagit County Hearing Examiner has set a public hearing to consider granting NextEra a special use permit at 9 a.m. Friday, Dec. 20. Written comments must be received by 4:30 p.m. Dec. 19 or presented at the hearing at 1800 Continental Pl. in Mount Vernon. Email comments to HEhearings@co.skagit.wa.us or use the Planning and Development Services website under Public Notices and Comment Opportunities link.
After receiving public comment, the Hearing Examiner will review the exhibits, record and testimony presented, and render a decision on the special use permit within approximately two weeks or 10 business days of the hearing.
Julia Tellman writes about civic issues and anything else that happens to cross her desk; contact her at juliatellman@cascadiadaily.com.
