Hamilton County hearing draws hours of opposition to proposed 200 MW battery project at Overdorf Road

The Hamilton County Board of Zoning Appeals on May 28 heard a land‑use variance request from IPA Power to construct and operate the Kingfisher Reserve battery energy storage system at 21598 Overdorf Road in White River Township, a project IPA Power described as a 200‑megawatt, standalone battery installation sited on about 9 acres of a 70.1‑acre parcel.

The petitioner, Brandon Grama, identified himself as the lead developer for IPA Power and told the board the system would be “exclusively a battery energy storage system,” not a solar or wind farm, and said the design would use containerized lithium‑iron‑phosphate (LFP) battery units, meet NFPA and UL safety standards and interconnect to the adjacent substation. No final vote on the variance was recorded in the transcript of the hearing.

The request, filed as docket BZALUV0007072025, asks the board to grant a variance from Article 3.A.2.2 of the Hamilton County Unified Development Ordinance to allow the battery project in an A‑2 (agricultural) zoning district. IPA Power’s application included a staff report, two appraisals and a 437‑page packet of materials; the petitioner also proposed conditions including a written commitment that no solar or wind generation would be placed on the parcel and continued training with the Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency and White River Township Fire Department.

Why it matters: County residents and conservation advocates said the proposal raises public‑safety, environmental, and land‑use questions while IPA Power said the installation would add grid capacity to an area that abuts existing generation and transmission infrastructure. Much of the public testimony focused on risks from fire or toxic releases, possible impacts to local wells and the White River watershed, heavy construction traffic, property values and whether the proposed use conforms to the county comprehensive plan.

Key facts presented by IPA Power - Project site: 21598 Overdorf Road (parcel 0707080000010000); total parcel 70.1 acres; approximately 9 acres proposed for battery containers. - Capacity and duration: 200 megawatts with a four‑hour duration; developer…