Amherst County tables battery-storage ordinance after safety, siting and revenue questions

The Amherst County Board of Supervisors voted on Sept. 16 to table Ordinance 2025-1, the county's proposed ordinance regulating battery energy storage facilities, after extended public comment and discussion about setbacks, emergency response and tax/revenue terms.

The ordinance would require a decommissioning plan, a baseline soil test, and an emergency response plan, and would allow battery storage only as a special exception in the M-1 industrial district, meaning each project would come before the Planning Commission and the Board on a case-by-case basis. Supervisor Martin moved to table the ordinance; the motion passed by voice vote.

Why it matters: battery energy storage systems (BESS) are increasingly proposed alongside solar and wind projects. They can affect public safety planning, local zoning and county revenue. The board’s decision pauses formal action so staff can return with clarified language on setbacks, conditions for special-exception applications and application requirements for emergency response plans.

Citizen speakers at the meeting urged caution and offered technical context. “Battery storage has become a vital piece of the puzzle in the ever changing landscape of energy demand,” said Dylan Taylor, identifying himself as a member of Energy Rights, an educational nonprofit. Taylor urged Amherst County to allow exceptions in…