Big battery farms encounter resistance across western Washington • Washington State Standard

Big battery farms encounter resistance across western Washington • Washington State Standard

Washington city and state leaders, utility officials and clean energy advocates toured a large battery energy storage facility in Houston, Texas, during a group study mission in May. (Photo courtesy of Clean & Prosperous)Community opposition to big battery farms is spreading across western Washington just as the technology takes on growing importance for the state’s clean energy transition and to stabilize the electric grid. A multiplying number…

Big battery farms encounter resistance across western Washington

Community opposition to big battery farms is spreading across western Washington just as the technology takes on growing importance for the state’s clean energy transition and to stabilize the electric grid. A multiplying number of cities and counties have enacted moratoriums on permitting for new utility-scale battery storage systems over the past year. Over a similar timeframe, project developers withdrew around a dozen early-stage battery sto…