Bonney Lake institutes six-month moratorium on battery energy storage system applications amid safety and water concerns

The Bonney Lake City Council voted April 14 to adopt BAB2633, a six-month moratorium on the acceptance, processing and approval of applications for battery energy storage system (BESS) facilities in all zoning districts within the city.

City staff and council members said the pause will give staff time to research and draft development regulations or prohibitions before applications flood the permitting pipeline. Jason Sullivan, Public Services Director, said the moratorium is intended to create a “time out” for staff to research technical issues and potential regulations and that the city could extend the moratorium another six months if needed.

Council members raised safety, environmental and siting concerns during discussion. Staff cited a candidate site located across from the police station and downwind from the fire station, surrounded by residences. Sullivan said the fire department advised that in a BESS fire the protocol may be to allow the battery to burn and evacuate nearby critical facilities and homes; he warned of groundwater runoff risks if water is used on a burning facility and that one site lies within a one-year travel time to the Granger Springs wells: “The site was in the 1 year travel time horizon for our Granger Springs wells, so that water would be directly put into the springs within 1 year and could impact our water supply,” Sullivan said.

Councilmember Fullerton raised broader concerns about health risks from large battery fires and referenced the East Palestine train derailment as an example of long-term harm. Fullerton said BESS in the city would not benefit residents directly and voiced skepticism about insurance and liability for potential incidents.

Staff said other jurisdictions are taking varied approaches: some (Covington) adopted moratoria, Auburn is drafting tiered regulations, and Sumner is permitting larger facilities in industrial areas. Sullivan noted the Washington State Building Code Council delayed adoption of next building code updates to May 2027, freeing staff capacity to work on local regulations.

Procedural notes: staff said the moratorium was declared an emergency and would take effect immediately if at least five councilmembers voted in favor. The council voted in favor of BAB2633; the transcript notes the motion passed but does not provide a detailed named tally in the record. Staff committed to scheduling a council public hearing on the moratorium within 60 days and to working with the Community Development Committee (CDC) on recommended regulations.

Next steps: staff will research safety, environmental and siting constraints, consult CDC, and return recommended development regulations or further moratorium action to the council. A public hearing will be scheduled within 60 days of the moratorium’s adoption.