Planning commission tells county to rely on NFPA standards, not a half‑mile blanket setback for battery storage

The Saline County Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously voted July 22 to forward a letter to the county commission recommending that battery energy storage system (BESS) siting be reviewed under nationally adopted NFPA standards rather than imposing a blanket half-mile setback from residences.

Commission members said a blanket half‑mile exclusion could effectively prevent most BESS proposals because occupied residences exist within a half mile of many electrical substations. The commission’s letter notes that the planning commission retains authority to require setbacks greater than NFPA guidance on a case-by-case basis and that referencing a national standard allows the county to rely on evolving technical provisions without repeatedly amending local rules.

Tim, county planning staff, reviewed the proposed language and told commissioners the draft letter reflected their prior discussion. Commissioners discussed NFPA guidelines and local emergency-response considerations, and one participant reported that recent training indicated BESS fire-incidence rates are low (described in the meeting as a small fraction of one percent across installations worldwide).

The commission voted to forward the letter to the county commission for consideration rather than adopting a half-mile blanket setback; the chair said the county commission had previously discussed a half-mile setback request and the planning commission preferred the NFPA-based approach with case-by-case discretion.

The planning commission recommended keeping technical setback and safety standards aligned with nationally recognized codes (NFPA) while preserving local authority to require additional measures for specific proposals.