Hood County firefighting officials and residents press for enforceable rules on battery storage; fire marshal will draft permitting and fee plan

Hood County Fire Marshal Jeff Young told the commissioners— court at a special April 10 workshop that he now understands Local Government Code 352.016 and related state-adopted codes give him "the ability and the authority to enforce fire code," and asked the court for guidance on how far enforcement should go.

The meeting, held at the Ralph H. Walton Junior Justice Center in Granbury, drew county officials, outside fire officials and scores of residents — many from Pecan Plantation — who raised safety, evacuation and environmental concerns about nearby battery energy storage projects such as the Rain Lily site.

Why it matters: speakers said battery energy storage systems (BESS) present distinct risks because of scale and potential for thermal runaway. County staff said enforcing state-adopted codes would require a permitting and inspection program with a fee schedule and additional staffing; residents said failing to require or verify safety measures could expose communities and volunteer firefighters to toxic smoke, water contamination and long evacuation times.

At the workshop Jeff Young framed the issue as one of implementation, not rule-writing. "The code already exists," he said, explaining the…