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Katy council reviews proposed rules for battery energy storage systems after prior application drew public outcry
Summary
City staff presented draft regulations for battery energy storage systems, proposing special-use permitting, setback distances, third-party review, fire-safety requirements and decommissioning assurances; council members pushed for larger buffers, performance bonds and a city-hired technical reviewer.
City of Katy planning staff on Monday presented draft regulations for battery energy storage systems (BESS), outlining special-use permitting, technical studies and fire-safety measures after the council denied a previous proposal last fall.
The draft ordinance would require any new BESS proposal to apply for a special-use permit and submit a detailed site plan, landscape and screening plans, elevations and renderings, a fire management plan, a hazard mitigation analysis and a plume study. Rachel, a city planner, said the packet also recommends an elevated application fee and 24/7 remote monitoring, a decommissioning plan and a fee-in-lieu of taxes for projects on industrial land.
“This is just a high level outline of what was proposed,” Rachel said, adding that staff had researched about 14 Texas cities and used League City’s ordinance as a starting point.
Council members pressed staff for stronger protections. Council member Dan Smith and…
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