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Florence council approves land‑use changes for Lighthorse battery storage project amid safety and revenue debate
Summary
The Florence Town Council voted to amend the general plan and the Dobson Farms PUD to permit a large-scale battery energy storage system proposed by ES Volta, approving both ordinances after public hearings and hours of questioning about safety, setbacks, traffic and revenue.
The Florence Town Council on Aug. 5 approved two ordinances to allow a utility‑scale battery energy storage system on about 40.9 acres east of Attaway Road and south of Judd Road.
The council voted to adopt the minor general‑plan amendment (ordinance 762‑25) and the corresponding Dobson Farms planned‑unit‑development amendment (ordinance 763‑25) that add battery energy storage systems as a permitted use and change the site’s place type from suburban neighborhood to industrial.
The project, presented by John Gillespie of the Rose Law Group on behalf of ES Volta Development LLC, is proposed as a 400‑megawatt battery energy storage system (BESS). Gillespie told the council the developer expects the facility to store power and redistribute it during peak demand; he described it as “a 400 megawatt, utility scale battery, storage system” and said the applicant could connect directly to an existing SRP substation north of Judd Road.
Why it matters: Council and staff framed the change as part of a broader shift in northern Florence toward industrial uses driven by utility infrastructure and long‑range transportation planning. Staff…
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