Skagit Farmland in the Crosshairs of the Energy Transition

 

Although the plot of land is relatively small, the fight about it signifies something large for the future of Skagit farmland.

Sitting just outside Sedro-Woolley along Minkler Road, 16 acres are focusing attention on core questions about governance, economics, habitat, and farmland preservation. This is where the Goldeneye battery energy storage system (BESS) has been proposed, a 200-megawatt so-called battery farm that could store enough energy to power roughly 100,000 homes for eight hours. If constructed, this land would “grow,” instead of the current pasture, seven or eight acres of shipping container-type blocks full of lithium-ion batteries.

Current State Site of Proposed BESS

The project represents critical challenges to Skagit’s future, and Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland is closely monitoring developments and working to protect farmland from this inappropriate development.

Goldfinch Energy Storage, a subsidiary of Tenaska, is based in Lincoln, Nebraska, and is the company behind the Goldeneye BESS. The company began exploring the county’s and state’s rules a couple years ago anticipating this project, which would store energy until the utility grid demanded it and stabilize regional energy supply.

Rather than applying for a permit with the county, the company turned to the state in June 2024. This development has caused much of the controversy.

BESS proposals have increased as the technology has improved and laws have incentivized them.

In 2019, the Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) became law. To help combat climate change, the law set ambitious targets for Washington retail energy sales being 100% renewable and carbon-free by 2045. This means more wind and solar energy will provide the region its energy, but those sources are variable. BESS units, like the one proposed east of Sedro-Woolley, help move toward the goal of carbon-free energy by storing energy when it is needed during lull times.

The state’s Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) guides the approval process for new energy infrastructure, including projects such as Goldeneye. This is the body Tenaska applied to in June 2024.

The council is made up of a chair appointed by the governor, representatives from relevant state departments (e.g., Commerce, Fish and Wildlife, etc.), and a representative from the area where a project is proposed. The state has directed the council to prioritize projects that reduce fossil fuel dependency consistent with the goals outlined in CETA. The council recommends projects to the governor, who may accept or reject them.

All of this may seem like fairly standard practice, but EFSEC gives the state the ability to bypass and overrule local governments. Several proposals in the legislature have sought to alter this, including removing the governor's power to approve or deny EFSEC's recommendation, requiring EFSEC to obtain local and tribal governments' explicit approval for projects, and disallowing EFSEC to override local zoning requirements. None passed, but these proposals demonstrate dissatisfaction—in several directions—with EFSEC's operations.

Skagit residents, organizations, and government officials have objected to the BESS proposal on multiple grounds, including safety risks given how close it is to Sedro-Woolley schools and residences.

Also of concern is the facility's impact on Hansen Creek, a salmon-bearing stream near the project. For decades and with millions of public dollars, local organizations and tribes have collaborated to restore Hansen Creek.

In addition to these concerns Skagitonians has raised its voice about the threat to farmland.

The Goldeneye site is in unincorporated Skagit County, zoned as Agriculture - Natural Resource Land (Ag-NRL). This designation strictly limits what kinds of development is permitted on the property. Skagit County Code does not allow industrial development like the BESS on farmland. Any special uses require alternative sites to be part of the planning.

The Growth Management Act prioritizes protecting farmland, and the Washington State Supreme Court's recent decision in King County v. Friends of Sammamish Valley (2024) affirmed this, stating, "Agricultural land that is specifically designated must be maintained and enhanced for potential future use under the GMA, even if the land is not being used for agricultural production currently." This precedent means designated farmland retains its protected status and cannot be converted to other uses, regardless of how it is being used now.

The Skagit County Commissioners opposed the Goldeneye BESS project and urged the state council to reject the application, saying in August 2024 that the project would “convert farmland for industrial development, undermining our community’s long-term protection of Skagit Valley’s farmland and farming economy,” alongside threatening the fish habitat of Hansen Creek. The following month, the commissioners issued a moratorium on any major utility development on agricultural land. Subsequently, county code has been updated to expressly exclude electrical generation and storage on zoned farmland.

A key part of the decision-making, though, is held by EFSEC, not Skagit County government. A flood of public comments, including from the county government and from Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland, showed near-universal opposition to the Goldeneye BESS proposal.

Despite this, in February 2025, EFSEC declared in a 3-2 vote that Skagit County’s zoning law does not prohibit major energy developments on agricultural land.

Another BESS has been proposed in Skagit County on Ovenell Road west of Mount Vernon. NextEra Energy Resources submitted an application in August 2023 to develop the project in the Bayview Industrial area, opting to go through the local permitting process rather than seeking direct approval from EFSEC. On the surface, siting this BESS in an industrial zone rather than on agricultural zone appears more consistent with county land-use priorities. Even so, some residents have voiced strong concern about the project's impact and potential safety risks, and disagree with Skagit County’s decision to allow the project to proceed, recently losing an appeal to the Board of County Commissioners in June 2025.  Meanwhile, the Goldeneye BESS project continues to draw sharp criticism—not only for its proposed location in the Ag-NRL, but also for Tenaska’s decision to bypass local government in favor of the state-level approval process.SPF noted as much in its public comments in late 2024: “Superseding the values, land ordinances, and local government in the name of green energy projects gives green energy an unnecessarily negative reputation in Skagit County.”

Upgrading the energy infrastructure can be done without degrading farmland, according to SPF, and in alignment with existing county code.

More environmental reviews remain before the governor can approve or deny Goldeneye BESS, which can be tracked on the EFSEC Goldeneye website, where you can also sign up for updates.

Skagitonians has a new initiative, Right Power, Right Place, to address threats to farmland from green energy projects. Skagit Valley's world-class soils often get overlooked for competing uses that prioritize "cheap" and "flat." The website allows you to speak up for farmland and sign a petition to express your opinion on the Sedro-Woolley BESS to the governor.

Skagitonian’s to Preserve Farmland’s “Stop Sedro-Woolley BESS” campaign sticker against an image of Skagit County farmland