State of Washington

Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council

 

Goldeneye Battery Energy Storage System Project

EFSEC Docket No: 240004

NOTICE OF INFORMATIONAL PUBLIC HEARING

AND LAND USE CONSISTENCY HEARING

August 13, 2024

5:00 PM

 

PLEASE NOTE—this notice is updated to correct an error in the date of the Land Use Hearing.

 

Description of Proposal: On June 27, 2024, the Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) received an application for the proposed construction of a renewable energy facility in Skagit County, Washington. The Application for Site Certification (ASC) from Goldfinch Energy Storage, LLC proposes the construction of a 200-megawatt (MW)/800-megawatt hour (MWh) battery energy storage system (BESS), located in unincorporated Skagit County, Washington. The ASC and other materials are posted on the EFSEC website: https://www.efsec.wa.gov/energy-facilities/goldeneye-bess.

 

Proponent: Goldfinch Energy Storage, LLC, 412 West 15th Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10011

 

State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Lead Agency: EFSEC

 

SEPA Threshold Determination Required: A threshold determination is required to determine whether an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is required. The threshold determination will be made based on the probable project impacts identified in the information presented in the ASC. A threshold determination of non-significance (DNS) may be issued if the SEPA responsible official (EFSEC Director) determines there will be no probable significant adverse environmental impacts. An EIS is not required if a DNS is issued.

 

Meeting Location: The Public Information Meeting and Land Use Consistency Hearing will be hybrid, held in-person and virtually via Microsoft Teams. You may attend the meeting in person at: Sedro-Woolley Community Center, 703 Pacific St, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284

 

Additional information about the venue, such as maps and directions, can be found on our website: https://www.efsec.wa.gov/energy-facilities/goldeneye-bess. You may attend the meeting virtually via Microsoft Teams, or via phone:

• Meeting link: https://bit.ly/GoldeneyeInfoMtgLUH
• Call-in number: +1 (564)-999-2000, Conference ID: 507869111#

To better facilitate the hybrid format, EFSEC asks speakers to sign up ahead of the meeting. Anyone wishing to speak during the Public Information Meeting or the Land Use Hearing, please notify EFSEC by phone at (360) 664-1345 or email at efsec@efsec.wa.gov before 5:00 pm on August 13, 2024. Please review EFSEC’s public meeting rules on our website: https://www.efsec.wa.gov/about-efsec/public-meeting-ground-rules.

 

Public Comment: Public Comment will be accepted during both the Public Information Meeting and Land Use Consistency Hearing. If you are unable to attend the meeting, please send your comment in writing to efsec@efsec.wa.gov,  or by postal mail to the EFSEC office mailing address: Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, P.O. Box 43172, 621 Woodland Square Loop, Olympia, WA, 98504-3172. An online database will also be open during the meeting at https://comments.efsec.wa.gov/ for the submission of written comments.

 

Open House: August 13, 2024, 5pm – 5:30pm: The Applicant and EFSEC staff will be available to answer questions about the Project and the EFSEC review process.

 

Public Information Meeting: August 13, 2024, 5:30 – 7 PM or last speaker, whichever comes first: As required by RCW 80.50.090 (1) and WAC 463-26-025, EFSEC will hold a Public Information Meeting. At this meeting, EFSEC Staff and the Applicant will introduce themselves. The Counsel for the Environment, an Assistant Attorney General appointed by the Washington Attorney General, will be introduced and will explain the duties of this position. The Applicant and EFSEC staff will then make presentations. Following the presentations, the public will be invited to provide comments. In order to allow as many speakers as possible, speakers will have limited minutes to provide comments, and any additional comments will be directed to be submitted online or postal mail. Duration of speaking time will be announced at the meeting, depending on the number of speakers signed up.

 

Land Use Consistency Hearing: August 13, 2024, 7 PM – 8:00 PM or last speaker, whichever comes first: As required by RCW 80.50.090 (2) and WAC 463-26-035 at approximately 6:30 PM, EFSEC will hold a Land Use Hearing. During this hearing, the public will be given an opportunity to provide testimony regarding the proposed Project’s consistency and compliance with land use plans and zoning ordinances. In order to allow as many speakers as possible, speakers will have limited minutes to provide comments, and any additional comments will be directed to be submitted online or postal mail. Duration of speaking time will be announced at the meeting, depending on the number of speakers signed up.

 

Note: The Land Use Consistency Hearing will begin no later than 30 minutes after the conclusion of the Public Information Meeting, which may end before 7 PM.

 

For information regarding the project, please contact EFSEC Site Specialist Zia Ahmed at (360)-515-2015, or by email at zia.ahmed@efsec.wa.gov. If you have special accommodation needs or need language translation services to provide your comment, please contact EFSEC staff at (360) 664-1345 or send an email to efsec@efsec.wa.gov.

 

NOTE: If you wish to continue to receive notices for this project, please sign up for the Goldeneye Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project email list by vising our website at: https://www.efsec.wa.gov/energy-facilities/goldeneye-bess.