At a Bannock County informational session, commissioners focused on what developers should provide to ensure safe operations of battery energy storage systems and what local code could require.

Commissioner 2 asked about funding for emergency training and equipment for multiple jurisdictions that could be called to incidents; Scott Rinsley of RWE described community benefit agreements developers often use to supply capital improvements and annual training. "We create basically a community benefit agreement...a commitment by the developer to pay for physical capital improvements and then also the training," Rinsley said, adding that RWE has provided thermal imaging cameras, UTVs and in one case helped fund an additional paramedic position.

Rinsley described on-site measures that can be required: a 30,000-gallon water tank kept outside the project fence with 24-hour fire-department access, lane-width and access requirements sized to local emergency vehicles, and vegetation-management zones (e.g., compacted gravel around battery banks, grass mowed short between arrays). He recommended including these items and a requirement for an emergency services response plan in local ordinances so responders know access routes, responsible-party contacts, and where material safety data sheets will be kept.

Commissioners also asked about siting near existing substations, setbacks and footprint rules; Rinsley said developers typically prefer locations adjacent to utility substations to reduce transmission work and that sites can be adapted to unusual parcel shapes (retired landfills, narrow strips). He offered to provide sample setback and footprint specifications and examples from other jurisdictions for the county’s planning staff.

The session produced no binding commitments. Presenters agreed to provide testing reports and suggested technical criteria and emergency-response templates the county could use if it wishes to draft permit conditions or ordinance language.