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Bill would bar state energy siting council from preempting local bans on battery storage in critical areas; sponsor cites safety and local rights
Summary
Senate Bill 5283 would stop the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council from preempting local zoning that forbids siting certain electrical battery storage facilities in Growth Management Act critical areas, sponsor testimony and committee staff said at an Oct. 12 hearing.
Senate Bill 5283, introduced to the Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee, would prohibit the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (FSEC) from preempting local land‑use or zoning ordinances that bar siting certain electrical battery storage facilities in critical areas mapped under the Growth Management Act.
Kim Cushing, committee staff, briefed the panel that the bill targets FSEC preemption where battery storage projects have opted into FSEC’s permitting and certification process. "The bill before you prohibits FSEC from preempting land use or zoning ordinances for siting electrical battery storage facilities in these critical areas," Cushing said.
Senator Keith Wagner, sponsor and state senator who identified Sedro‑Woolley…
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