Kerr County workshop flags BESS safety, urges permit fees and expert review

KERR COUNTY, Texas — County officials held a workshop on Jan. 5 to review safety, regulatory and operational concerns tied to large battery energy storage systems and to consider local steps including permit and fee schedules, contracting outside technical reviewers and the potential hire of a county fire marshal.

The presentation, led by a workshop speaker identified in the transcript as Speaker 2, described containerized lithium-ion battery facilities typically sited beside electric substations and warned of ‘‘thermal runaway’’ fires that can burn for days and produce toxic smoke and contaminated runoff. ‘‘The risk far outweigh any benefit associated with BESS power stabilization,’’ Speaker 2 said, citing cases such as the January 2025 fire at the Moss Landing facility in California that burned for days and led to evacuations and lawsuits.

The presenter and county officials also flagged local projects shown on ERCOT maps. Speaker 3 noted ‘‘13 substations in Kerr County that we’re looking at’’ and described proposed facilities near Comfort (Kendall substation), Mountain Home and Harper — including a 145‑megawatt project in Harper that has prompted litigation in neighboring…