Bonner County commissioners back Inland Power residential battery pilot after safety and sourcing questions

The Bonner County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a letter of support for Inland Power and Light Cooperative’s residential battery-storage pilot program after commissioners reviewed written answers submitted by the utility and heard public comment on safety and outreach.

Commissioner Domke read the utility’s written responses into the record. Inland Power’s materials, as read, said siting and distribution details would be partly determined through a public process and that the most cost-effective installations would likely be inside a participating member’s garage or shop. The material read into the record also said members would own the batteries and maintain control of their configuration; the utility’s access would stop at the meter.

On fire…