Supervisors and staff raise safety, assessment questions about proposed battery storage near Latimer

Franklin County supervisors and staff discussed a proposal by Interstate Power and Light Company to locate a large battery storage installation near a substation west of Latimer, saying local emergency services and tax officials need more information before the project advances.

At the meeting a supervisor recounted attending an Iowa Utilities Commission hearing in Latimer about the proposal and described the planned site as roughly 76 shipping‑container–sized battery units and about 19 inverters. The supervisor said the units are similar to electric vehicle batteries and raised concerns that a fire would require “massive amounts of water” and that small volunteer fire departments could lack capacity to respond.

County staff and supervisors noted the utility told the commission it would site multiple installations and that at least one location included a high‑capacity well intended to support firefighting. Supervisors said they had asked the utility to contribute more to local emergency resources and to maintain local public relations contacts during the permitting process.

Franklin County’s assessor and staff said they are researching how the facility would be assessed for property tax purposes. The assessor’s office told the board that, generally, facilities that sell power back onto the grid are subject to central (state) assessment, while on‑site facilities used solely for a property may be locally assessed. Staff said they would contact the Iowa Department of Revenue to determine whether a facility of this scale and function would qualify for state assessment and whether it might be eligible for any special valuation used for other generation facilities.

Board members said they want the utility to address firefighting access, groundwater protection and community contributions before any final local approvals or land‑use agreements move forward. No formal county action was taken at the meeting; supervisors instructed staff to continue gathering information and to follow up with the utility and state contacts.

The discussion also included a reminder that county ordinances addressing battery installations focus on anchoring and state‑of‑the‑art siting and equipment standards, not all operational or emergency response requirements.

County staff said they will report back after contacting the Department of Revenue and will pass along any technical information provided by the utility about fire suppression, groundwater risk and local mitigation measures.

Officials noted the matter involves state regulatory proceedings before the Iowa Utilities Commission in addition to local permit and assessment questions; the board did not take a vote or set a deadline for staff follow‑up.