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Anne Arundel Council weighs zoning rules for battery energy storage amid fire-safety and siting concerns
Summary
The County Council reviewed Bill 9-26 to add battery energy storage systems to the zoning use chart. Sponsors and staff discussed required firefighter access, NFPA standards, water needs for large battery fires and whether expedited local review would conflict with state Public Utilities law.
Councilmembers on Feb. 10 reviewed proposed zoning language to allow battery energy storage systems (BESS) as a new use in the county code.
Sponsor Councilmember Fiedler said the bill would add the use to the county’s use chart and that she was working with administration and planning staff on technical language. “The bill is pretty self explanatory,” she said, while indicating she would accept edits to address administration and fire-department concerns.
Administration staff and the Fire Department urged specific safety measures. Ethan Hunt, speaking for the administration, outlined two recommended additions from the Fire Department: a Fire Department–approved Knox-style entry system for secured gates and a…
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