Linn County planning panel drafts limits on battery storage: noise, setbacks, safety measures proposed

The Linn County Planning and Zoning Commission met in workshop session to review draft zoning regulations for battery energy storage systems (BESS), centering on noise standards, setback distances, site-size limits and safety measures. The commission did not vote; staff will redline the draft and return it for further review and a future public hearing.

Commissioners and planning staff said the immediate priority is to create rules that allow the county to review BESS proposals while protecting neighboring residents, livestock and wildlife. Staff reported three tiers of BESS by capacity (tier 2, 81–600 kilowatts; tier 3, greater than 600 kilowatts) and presented draft setback, noise and height standards tied to those tiers.

On noise, participants proposed a maximum of 50 A-weighted decibels (dBA) measured at a nonparticipating dwelling and repeated that noise must be expressed as a numeric standard at the property line; the draft calls for a measurement protocol based on an average (24-hour) metric and requires operators to work with an acoustician to model, mitigate and verify levels. The commission discussed peak versus average limits, the intermittency of operations, and whether site topography can cause echoes; staff said baseline…