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Klamath County planning commission backs conditional use permit for 29‑acre battery storage near Malin Substation
Summary
The planning commission voted unanimously Jan. 27 to forward a conditional use permit for a 29‑acre battery energy storage system next to the Malin Substation to the Klamath County Board of Commissioners, citing grid benefits and conditions addressing fire safety, wildlife mitigation and access.
Klamath County planning commissioners voted unanimously Jan. 27 to accept staff recommendations and forward a conditional use permit for a proposed 29‑acre battery energy storage system (BESS) adjacent to the Malin Substation to the county board for final decision.
Justin Throne, the planning staff presenter, described the site east of Malin and its role in the regional grid, saying the Malin area is a “focal point” on the California‑Oregon intertie and arguing the facility’s function at the point of interconnection supports treating BESS as a commercial utility facility for land‑use purposes. Throne told the commission the project footprint covers about 29 acres and that the application frames the facility as a large‑scale storage resource intended to provide dispatchable power and grid support.
The applicant, Kelly McGill, the lead developer, told the commission the applicant “agrees with that characterization” and cited Klamath County code and Oregon administrative rule OAR 660‑006‑00254J in support of classifying BESS as a facility that serves the…
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