FSEC approves GoldenEye battery storage land-use consistency order after supplemental comment period; acting chair recuses

The Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council on Jan. 15 approved a draft order finding the GoldenEye Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project consistent with Skagit County land-use provisions as they existed at the time of the project's application.

The decision followed staff revisions to the draft order prompted by public comments and two public comment periods. Acting Council Chair Kurt Beckett, who earlier disclosed prior consulting work involving several projects including GoldenEye and said he left the consulting firm on 11/01/2024, recused himself from any Council decision-making on GoldenEye and designated Stacy Brewster to preside for that agenda item.

Why this matters: The Council's land-use consistency determination addresses a narrow legal question—whether the proposed facility would have been eligible to seek a conditional or special use permit under local rules at the time of application. It does not itself grant a site certification or final project approval, but the conclusion is a required procedural step in the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council's review process.

Staff told the Council that FSEC opened an initial public comment period in December 2024 (Dec. 11–15) and, after identifying an error on the public comment website, re-opened a supplemental period from Jan. 6–12, 2025. Staff reported that approximately 22 comments were received during the initial December period and another…