Charlotte County defers new battery energy storage rules to November after safety and scale concerns

Charlotte County supervisors voted to defer consideration of a draft ordinance regulating battery energy storage systems (BESS) until the November 12 meeting after staff presentations and public comment raised questions about size limits, emergency-service impacts and the pace of local regulation.

Staff summarized the study and a draft ordinance that divides facilities into two tiers: Tier 1 (up to 600 kilowatts), permitted by right in all districts, and Tier 2 (utility scale, above 600 kilowatt‑hours) subject to conditional-use review and limited to industrial and agricultural districts. Staff described fire-safety measures, spacing recommendations from the Department of Energy, a suggested five-acre minimum lot size for stand-alone facilities, and the need to incorporate monitoring and robust fire-protection requirements. Staff also noted the planning commission recommended approval of the draft on a 7–2 vote.

Public commenters urged caution. Terry Ramsey warned against rushing into wide-scale deployment without density limits and recommended consideration of caps; Sandra Towne supported BESS if regulations keep pace with evolving technologies (for example, emerging iron-air alternatives to lithium-ion). Board members expressed concerns about additional workload for staff, potential strain on emergency responders from false alarms, and whether the county should set megawatt or acreage caps. A motion to defer consideration to the November 12 meeting carried, and board members asked staff to gather more information and for supervisors to send written questions to staff ahead of the next hearing.