Planning commission recommends approval of battery energy storage ordinance with amendments

The Surry County Planning Commission on Feb. 24 recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve an ordinance amendment (PC ordinance amendment 2024-04) establishing standards for battery energy storage systems (BESS) in the county.

The commission's recommendation, approved by voice vote with one recorded nay, incorporates numerous edits proposed by the applicant and additional changes requested by commissioners and staff. The ordinance, as amended by the commission, sets site standards including a minimum cleared buffer around BESS facilities, a noise threshold measured at adjacent occupied structures, dark-sky lighting requirements, and decommissioning provisions addressing salvage value.

Scott Foster, the applicant's attorney, summarized edits made in response to prior commission comments. "The application shall include those items, and then other things that may be determined as necessary by the planning director," Foster said while describing documentation to accompany applications. He also summarized changes to setback and buffer language…