Skagit County Planning Commission hears presentation on plans for clean energy regulations

The Skagit County Planning Commission heard a presentation Tuesday on the county's plans to develop clean energy development regulations by May 2027.

County Planning and Development Services Senior Planner Robby Eckroth told the commission there are several factors contributing to the need for clean energy regulations.

He said the county is receiving an increasing number of inquiries and applications for clean energy development, which is due to the unprecedented growth in energy demand in the county and the state.

He also said that state mandates, such as the Clean Energy Transformation Act, are requiring energy companies to transition to cleaner energy sources by the middle of the century.

The state Department of Commerce has grant opportunities to support the planning of clean energy projects, but the grant funding only runs through May 2027, Eckroth said.

Skagit County has received a grant from the Department of Commerce to develop clean energy development regulations and to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement which will evaluate the environmental impacts and the possible sites for clean energy projects, Eckroth said.

The county will be accepting public comment regarding the scope of its Environmental Impact Statement until 4:30 p.m. June 16.

Eckroth said the county hopes to receive feedback that helps narrow the scope of the project to only significant environmental issues, and to identify alternative kinds of clean energy.

The commission was presented with four kinds of clean energy that the county is considering in its regulations: Solar energy, battery energy storage, small modular reactors, and renewable fuels such as bioenergy and renewable hydrogen.

The Planning Commission had several questions for Planning and Development Services staff regarding the viability of certain kinds of clean energy and their environmental impacts, and broader questions about the impact that clean energy projects will have on the cost of energy for residents.

Because the drafting of regulations was just introduced, staff were unable to answer many of these questions, but they said they planned to research those questions and coordinate with Puget Sound Energy, the main electricity provider in the county.

After receiving public comment from residents, the county plans to issue a draft of the Environmental Impact Statement in November.

The county is also forming a Clean Energy Advisory Group, which will provide guidance to the county during the drafting of the regulations.

The county will host three open houses to teach residents about the Environmental Impact Statement.

There will be an open house at the Depot Arts and Community Center in Anacortes from 1 to 3 p.m. June 9, at the Skagit County Administration Building in Mount Vernon from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 9, and at the Concrete Community Center from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 10.

Public comments regarding the scope of the Environmental Impact Statement can be submitted via email to pdscomments@co.skagit.wa.us. Handwritten comments can be dropped off or mailed to the county's Planning and Development Services department at 1800 Continental Place in Mount Vernon.

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