Trouble in Snoqualmie over proposed battery storage site

Published 12:05 pm Tuesday, March 24, 2026

A community meeting turned into a shouting match March 17 as residents grew increasingly concerned with a developer’s plans for a battery storage facility near Snoqualmie Ridge.

Hans Detweiler, lead developer for the project, led the meeting at Snoqualmie Falls Golf Course on behalf of Jupiter Power, an energy infrastructure company based in Austin, Texas. Jupiter wants to build a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on a 45-acre lot south of Fisher Creek Park. The lot is directly adjacent to Snoqualmie Ridge, but resides in unincorporated King County.

A BESS is a collection of rechargeable batteries that store renewable and non-renewable energy for later use. The Jupiter facility, named Cascadia Ridge, would connect to the existing nearby Mt. Si substation and have a power capacity of 130 megawatts.

“The facility aims to improve the reliability, stability and resiliency of the regional power grid,” the Cascadia Ridge website states.

The battery site would be near several residential neighborhoods and not far from life on Snoqualmie Parkway. Locals have concerns about the facility’s impact on the environment and property values, as well as the potential for lithium battery fires.

They’ve made these concerns well known to the city of Snoqualmie, which put out news releases on the topic March 11, March 16 and March 18. Though Snoqualmie does not have any direct say in the matter, the city has committed to providing input to the county on behalf of its residents.

“This proposal is in the early stages of King County’s review process, and key details have not yet been fully presented or evaluated,” the March 18 news release said. “Following the recent community meeting, residents are seeking more complete, specific and responsive answers about this proposal.”

Attendees were so upset at the meeting that Detweiler stood on a chair to get their attention, in turn upsetting some attendees more, according to King 5’s coverage. Detweiler then ended the meeting and was booed out.

Jupiter Power is currently working on a new permit application to submit to King County after withdrawing its previous application. If approved, Jupiter plans to begin construction in 2027.

Once the new application is submitted, there will also be a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review, a process designed to show decision-makers, developers and the public what environmental impacts the proposed project would have.

To view statements from the city of Snoqualmie, visit snoqualmiewa.gov.