Several communities in King County have temporarily banned the siting of large-scale battery systems. But the Snohomish County Public Utility District is getting ready to power up Washington’s first — and so far, largest — such system this fall.
The utility district told KNKX it selected the best technology available and was able to build it on the district’s “clean energy campus” in Arlington. The City of Arlington has a policy in place to support the permitting process and stave off objections that have been growing in other communities.
The Tesla-made batteries are locked up inside rows and rows of vented white lockers on a gravel lot. They are designed to store excess power from sources like wind and solar, which are clean but don’t always generate power when needed. And the batteries are needed as the state’s zero-emissions mandates kick in…