Planning commission recommends approval of Lighthorse battery storage amendments after fire-safety discussion

Chairman Jeff Frost called the meeting to order and the Planning and Zoning Commission on Thursday voted to forward recommendations of approval, with conditions, for two applications that would allow a large-scale battery energy storage facility on 40.93 acres in the Dobson Farms planned unit development.

The proposals before the commission were a minor amendment to the town’s 2022 general plan (PZ-24-39) to change the land use designation from suburban neighborhood to industrial and a major PUD amendment to the Dobson Farms PUD (PZ-24-40) to add battery energy storage as an allowed use and establish development standards for the site.

Why it matters: the developer says the facility will store electricity during low-demand periods and dispatch it at peak demand to support reliability in SRP’s service area. The commission’s recommendation, if adopted by the Town Council later, would clear the way for a facility with an on-site substation and battery containers that the applicant says are 8 to 10 feet tall and will be set back at least 100 feet from perimeter property lines.

Staff presentation and proposal

Maricela, the town planning staff lead, told commissioners the town’s general plan includes a process for minor and major amendments and that the submission was under the 80‑acre threshold used to…