Edgar County board hears battery storage concerns, votes to impose moratorium and review ordinance

Edgar County board members held a public hearing on a proposed ordinance governing battery energy storage systems and then voted to impose a moratorium and direct staff to review the draft.

The hearing drew a presentation and questions from Ian Evans, a representative of AIPA Power, a utility-scale developer. Evans said three provisions in the draft ordinance would be “completely unworkable” for large developers: a requirement to secure an interconnection agreement before filing a county permit application, a proposed financial assurance equal to 10% of total project cost, and an open-ended ability for the county to increase required liability insurance. “Requiring an interconnection agreement prior to application isn't workable,” Evans said. He explained the interconnection process with MISO and noted developers often face phased security requirements that can reach “multiple millions of dollars.”

State's Attorney Philip told the board he preferred a moratorium to allow staff time to review the concerns and prepare a revised ordinance. “Without knowing the concerns that were brought up at the earlier hearing, I would say the moratorium,” he said.

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