Developer previews proposed 300MW/1,200MWh battery project north of LaCygne, outlines safety and local tax benefits

Representatives from Spearman Energy, including Blake Johnson, project lead, and consultant Evan Balcom, presented an early-stage concept for a battery energy storage system (BESS) proposed on leased land north of LaCygne in northeastern Linn County.

Johnson said the project — termed Silverfield in the presentation — is planned as a 300‑megawatt, 1,200‑megawatt‑hour storage system on roughly 25 leased acres with battery racks occupying about four acres. The project would interconnect to a nearby transmission line; Johnson said the intent is to tap an existing line and keep additional collection lines underground within the parcel. He estimated a multi‑decade local property‑tax benefit and provided a preliminary, long‑range tax‑revenue estimate of about $20 million in the first 10 years and roughly $52 million over a 30‑year project life; he noted these are projections that depend on assessor determinations.

Evan Balcom, who described his background as a firefighter and battery-safety consultant, told commissioners that lithium‑ion battery systems have seen increased deployment and that industry codes and mitigations have improved. Balcom said the most common incidents are single-cell failures that industry designs and codes typically contain at the cabinet or module level; larger events are uncommon and response plans focus on containment, monitoring and coordination with local fire departments.

"Batteries will typically burn themselves out," Balcom said. "The plan with NFPA 55 ... is that if a single cell fails ... the cabinet senses, takes that module or rack offline, and somebody can come out, take that single cell out and change it out." He added that larger failures are dependent on state of charge and that new systems include explosion-mitigation and ventilation measures.

Spearman representatives said they will meet with county staff and the local fire department for a technical briefing the next day; they are conducting wetlands, habitat and cultural studies and will pursue required permits. The developer said it expects interconnection timelines to drive project sequencing and that no construction or formal permitting application is imminent; the developer sought early feedback about permitting preferences and community interests.

Ending: Commissioners asked the developer to stay in close contact with county planning staff and counsel, and the developer scheduled follow-up briefings with planning and the fire department.