Pulaski County commissioners send battery-storage moratorium back to planners with 6-month limit and exception for solar permits

Pulaski County commissioners voted on a motion Sept. 15 to send a proposed 12‑month moratorium on commercial battery energy storage systems (BESS) back to the county’s advisory planning commission (APC) with instructions to draft a six‑month moratorium and add language excluding ordinary solar permits.

Carla (planning staff) read the ordinance aloud in full during the meeting, saying the moratorium "shall be in full force and effect in Pulaski County for the issuance of permits to any person, firm, or entity seeking to place or install a BESS on any property within the jurisdiction of the Pulaski County Planning Commission in Pulaski County, Indiana." The APC had recommended a 12‑month window to allow time for drafting ordinance language covering setbacks, tiers, decommissioning plans, lighting, noise and other BESS‑specific provisions.

The motion on the floor—"I'll make a motion to go back to APC to 6 months"—was made and seconded and passed by voice vote; the clerk recorded the board as in favor. Commissioners also directed that the APC prepare language that would not affect existing solar permits and that the APC's recommendation would return to the board for final action. The board discussed that APC and county attorneys had already reviewed portions of the draft and that APC could move to terminate a longer moratorium early if its text amendments were complete sooner.

Why it matters: APC and county staff said a moratorium would create time to assemble federal, state and technical guidance and to craft ordinance text so the county has regulatory tools in place before commercial BESS installations increase. Commissioners said they wanted clearer, narrower language and a shorter review period than APC's 12‑month recommendation.

What the APC said: APC members who spoke at the meeting said they had reviewed federal and state resources (including IDEM, DNR, NEC references) and draft text; they also said some APC members wanted to visit potential sites before finalizing recommendations. Carla told the board APC had reached out to outside sources and that similar Indiana ordinances informed their draft language.

Next steps: APC will receive the motion and the board’s direction to draft a revised moratorium of six months that explicitly excludes solar permit processing; APC will set a public hearing and may return early to recommend terminating a moratorium if its work is finished before six months.