Battery storage rules: Snoqualmie, WA
On May 26, 2026 the City of Snoqualmie passed a twelve-month moratorium (Ordinance 1322) on accepting, processing and approving land use and permit applications for battery storage facilities (principal-use or utility-scale) located in the city, falling under a city ordinance, or using city infrastructure, with exceptions for maintenance, in-kind replacement and emergency repair. Ask the city for its current status.
Snoqualmie: twelve-month moratorium on new battery storage (May 2026)
Ordinance 1322, passed May 26, 2026, pauses accepting, processing and approving land use and permit applications for principal-use or utility-scale battery storage for twelve months, unless repealed or extended earlier. City of Snoqualmie Ordinance 1322
Fire and building codes in force
- 2021 International Fire Code with Washington amendments (WAC 51-54A), statewide since March 15, 2024
- Proposed, not adopted: the 2024 edition, which would point energy storage rules to NFPA 855, with a planned effective date of May 3, 2027 (WSR 26-10-069)
How a project is permitted
By default, local: the city or county's zoning, conditional-use permit, SEPA review and fire code. A developer of a standalone battery may choose state certification by EFSEC instead (RCW 80.50.060(1)(b)(v)); a certificate takes the place of local permits (RCW 80.50.120(3)). Ask your city or county whether battery storage is an allowed use in your zone, and whether a moratorium is in effect and when it ends.
Sources
- City of Snoqualmie Ordinance 1322 (moratorium) City of Snoqualmie (via MRSC)
Check a specific system
For a proposal or a system you're evaluating, answer a few questions in BESScheck: you get the rules that apply here, a checklist of what to ask, and the sources behind each line.