Saline County panel approves conditional permit for battery-storage site after hours of safety questions

Saline County’s Planning and Zoning Commission voted Nov. 25 to approve a conditional use permit for a battery energy storage facility proposed near the Summit substation, after hours of testimony and negotiated changes to the staff conditions.

The permit (CUP 25-09) authorizes a battery energy storage system on a roughly 40-acre parcel at McReynolds Road and Simpson Road, with the project’s fenced and built area expected to occupy about 10–15 acres. Applicant representatives said construction would likely begin in 2029 with operations starting in 2030. The commission accepted amended conditions that require a decommissioning plan, a performance bond with Saline County as beneficiary, annual updates while the project remains unbuilt, and negotiated liability insurance terms to be agreed before construction.

County staff described the application as consistent with recent zoning rules for battery energy storage and said the proposed site is adjacent to an existing Evergy substation and rural in character. The staff report listed required submittals—including an emergency response plan and compliance with federal and state environmental and fire-safety laws—and recommended conditions tied to county code sections 12-17-04 and 12-17-05.

Plus Power representatives framed the facility as a tool…