At a workshop on draft land-use rules, the Linn County Planning Commission signaled it will limit battery energy storage systems to industrial zoning districts and refine technical standards before scheduling a public hearing.

Chair (S2) cited the countyode section 24-301 on zoning districts and said, "I think we should consider just making this industrial," arguing that industrial designation better aligns with the comprehensive plan. Commissioners debated whether designating storage as industrial would force creation of new industrial parcels or simply require rezoning when a proposal makes sense. Commissioner (S4) noted existing industrial uses (for example, a reclaimed coal-reclamation site and local quarries) and volunteered to review the county industrial map against the draft.

On technical standards, commissioners discussed tiered height limits in the draft: "We've got height limitation maximum 15 feet on tier 2; on tier 3, we've got 20 feet," Chair (S2) said, and commissioners reviewed screening requirements under draft section 16.3. The draft also requires conditional-use applicants to submit site plans and decommissioning plans; Chair (S2) read aloud that "No conditional use permit shall be transferred from 1 party to another" and that applicants must provide a decommissioning plan specifying removal and site restoration.

Commissioners asked staff to post the revised drafts before a combined public hearing (battery, data centers, cryptocurrency) and to return the documents to the commission for a vote after public input.

The commission did not vote at this workshop; members asked staff to collect individual emailed edits and to consult county counsel (Jacqueline) on legal questions before finalizing the draft for publication.