Councilmember Dan Murphy

08/29/2026

Washington “wants to” keep data centers from raising your power bill.

Last session, corporations and special interests killed HB 2515, which would have required data centers to pay their own way, cut power when the grid is strained, and disclose how much electricity they use.

Meanwhile, PSE is planning billions of dollars in new power generation and storage to meet what it calls “growing demand.” A big driver of that demand? Data centers.

We talk about this demand as if it’s out of our control. It isn’t.

We shouldn’t be building power plants, batteries and other infrastructure to feed the AI slop factories before putting protections in place for consumers and our environment.

Data centers should pay the full cost of the infrastructure needed to serve them. They should be at the back of the line for new power, bring or procure clean energy, and reduce their power use when the grid is strained.

And until Washington puts real guardrails in place, cities and counties are right to use every tool available to protect their communities.

State regulators are drawing up options while fear of data centers, including their potential to strain the electrical grid, is spreading rapidly.

08/23/2026

Another great Snoqualmie Days is in the books! We started our day at the Snoqualmie Fire Department and Emergency Management pancake breakfast, collected armfuls of candy at the parade, had lunch at Hot Diggity Doug's, and were so excited to see our dedicated City of Snoqualmie Government community development and parks and public works staff educating our community on our comprehensive plan and the Green Snoqualmie Partnership.

Grateful for all the organizers and city staff who work so hard to put on these events that bring our families and neighbors together.

08/11/2026

I'm thrilled to share my guest op-ed in The Seattle Times, on how clean energy is losing the communities it needs most. Too often, clean energy is being built the fossil fuel way: land deals locked up in secret, tolling agreements signed, and the community brought in at the 11th hour.

Real partnership means bringing communities in before the site is picked, not after. Require a public hearing for every utility-scale battery facility. Give cities a formal seat when a project lands at their doorstep. And zone for separation from homes, schools and waterways. Many states already require community engagement before these applications can even be filed. Washington doesn't.

Communities like mine aren't obstacles to a clean energy future. We're who it's for.

The Clean Energy Transformation Act requires utilities to file public participation plans and convene advisory groups.

07/09/2026

We had a great time last Sunday clearing invasive blackberry from the Silent Creek trail with the Green Snoqualmie Partnership, a collaboration between City of Snoqualmie Government, Snoqualmie Tribe, Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and Forterra NW working to keep our urban forests healthy for generations to come. Huge thank you to Alex McClean for sharing his wealth of urban forestry knowledge with us, Jason Battles for spearheading the urban forestry program, and Jeff Hamlin for his leadership of our city parks.

Check out more volunteer opportunities here, next one is 7/11 at Centennial Field: https://snoqualmie.greencitypartnerships.org/event/map/

07/04/2026

Happy 4th from Snoqualmie! 🎆🇺🇸

Thank you to the City of Snoqualmie Government, Church on the Ridge, ROA for the great festivities this morning 🎉 And a special shout out to our wonderful Snoqualmie Fire Department and Emergency Management, city employees and volunteers who are working through the holiday, as they always do, to give us a safe and fun 4th 🚒❤️

06/07/2026

Thank you to SNOVALLEY PRIDE for putting on a truly inspiring Pride picnic today, full of fun, joy, and belonging. Major kudos to Gregory Jamiel and his team for pulling off an event complete with music, art, and unicorns!

It’s great to see our valley coming together, neighbors showing up for each other, making sure everyone knows they belong here. At a time when LGBTQ+ neighbors across the country are facing real hostility, days like this aren’t just fun, they’re necessary. 🏳️‍🌈

05/20/2026

Thank you to Mayor Miller, the North Bend City Council, city staff and the entire City of North Bend Government for standing with Snoqualmie last night in passing a moratorium on Battery Energy Storage Systems. A special thanks to Councilmember Errol Tremolada for spearheading this effort and to Councilmember Mark Joselyn for offering a motion directing the city to transmit a letter of concern about the proposed BESS in Snoqualmie Valley to the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission

This is what Snoqualmie Valley unity looks like - neighbors looking out for neighbors, and two cities acting together to protect our community. I know Snoqualmie residents are grateful for your city taking the time to learn more about this emerging issue, and most critically, taking action.

During our last full council meeting, the Snoqualmie City Council advanced its own BESS moratorium to a second reading with potential passage happening on May 26th.

𝘼 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙛 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙥: On Tuesday, Mayor Miller, the Council, staff and community met for the May 19 North Bend City Council meeting.

◾Mayor Miller proclaimed May as Public Service Month
◾The meeting included two Public Hearings:
▶ The resolution to adopt the Six-Year Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) for 2027-2032, continued from April 21
▶ The adoption of a moratorium regarding Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
◾The Council approved CM Joselyn's motion to authorize Mayor Miller to draft a letter to the WA Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC), objecting to the siting of the BESS by Jupiter Energy at the currently proposed location in unincorporated King County, that is located within the Urban Growth Area (UGA) of the City of Snoqualmie
◾The Council authorized a contract with Otak
◾The Council approved an ordinance amending North Bend Municipal Code (NBMC) 20.05, concerning permitting timeframes
◾The Council authorized Mayor Miller to initiate discussions with Fire District #38 regarding the Regional Fire Authority

🎬 Watch the recording on YouTube: https://youtu.be/aryrNGTpkCY
🎬 Watch the recording on our website: https://northbendwa.gov/civicmedia
🎧 Listen to an audio recording, which will be available at the Document Center, under "Meeting Audio" by May 21: https://northbendwa.gov/Archive.aspx