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Plan Commission to review zoning updates to address battery storage, carbon sequestration, SMRs and data centers
Summary
A public commenter asked whether the county will add rules for carbon capture, battery storage, small modular reactors and data centers; staff said an ordinance rewrite is underway and the ordinance-review committee will address those topics soon.
During public comment near the end of the meeting, Laura Redwood (self-identified) asked whether the commission plans to revise the county zoning ordinance to cover emerging industrial and energy uses including carbon capture and sequestration, battery storage, small modular reactors (SMRs) and data centers. "I was just curious on if there's been a discussion or if you're having plans on moving forward with zoning ordinances that has to do with carbon capture, sequestration, battery storage, SMRs, small modular reactors, and data centers," she said.
Unidentified county staff replied that the county is in the process of redoing the zoning ordinance and that the ordinance-review committee will begin conversations this month, specifically naming battery storage, carbon sequestration and data centers among topics to be considered. Staff noted SMRs were not yet on the list but said they could bring the subject to committee.
The exchange put on the record a citizen request for early policy consideration of several emerging technology uses that can have site-specific land-use, safety and infrastructure implications. Commissioners did not take a formal vote on zoning text at this meeting; staff committed to raising the issues with the ordinance-review committee and to begin public conversations in coming weeks.
