Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Energy Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners weigh forming Local Government Code 391 subregional commission to study battery energy storage projects
Summary
A Van Zandt County commissioner proposed forming a Local Government Code 391 subregional planning commission to coordinate review and information-sharing on battery energy storage and other regional infrastructure projects.
A Van Zandt County commissioner introduced a workshop item proposing creation of a Local Government Code 391 subregional planning commission aimed at coordinating regional planning and information-sharing on infrastructure projects, with immediate focus on a battery energy storage system (BESS) under construction near Highway 47 and County Road 1651 in Precinct 2.
The speaker reviewed Local Government Code 391 provisions that permit two or more political subdivisions to establish a commission for regional planning and said a 391 commission would give the county a formal channel to request review and comment from state and federal agencies on projects affecting health, safety, welfare and regional infrastructure. "Section 391.003 ... the governing body of a governmental unit within that region or subregion ... may" submit materials for review and comment, the presenter summarized.
Nancy White, who has been working with surrounding jurisdictions, told the court many local governments are seeking coordination because BESS projects raise complex questions about fire risk, siting next to infrastructure (including pipelines and watershed areas), foreign-manufactured software and federal funding streams. She said one BESS project in the region has received a federal funding application for roughly $40 million and that some stakeholders have raised national-security concerns tied to software and equipment origin.
Speakers emphasized that a 391 commission does not give the commission power to force other governments to act but provides a platform for information gathering, coordinated review and engagement with agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The presenter said the county will seek partners — cities or neighboring counties — to form the subregional commission; several jurisdictions have shown interest and a community meeting was announced.
The commissioner said an agenda item to call for a county resolution to create a 391 commission will appear on the court docket in two weeks. Commissioners and staff asked for additional outreach and attempt to secure participation from nearby cities and counties before that hearing. No formal resolution was adopted at this meeting.
