Planning commission holds over 300‑MW Eastside battery storage project after safety and habitat concerns
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Summary
The City Planning Commission held over Accelergen Energy’s proposal for a 300‑megawatt battery energy storage facility at 8900 Metropolitan Ave for 30 days, asking the developer to supply an updated Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks habitat report and to hold another community meeting with staff.
Accelergen Energy’s plan for a 300‑megawatt battery energy storage facility near Interstate 435 and Metropolitan Avenue was the focus of a lengthy Feb. 9 hearing before the City Planning Commission, which voted to hold the special use permit and preliminary plan review over until the commission’s March 9 meeting pending an updated wildlife report.
Josh Scogin, introduced himself as a co‑founder of Accelergen Energy and told commissioners the proposal would occupy roughly a 12–15 acre operational footprint within a 64‑acre purchase option, leaving about 50 acres undisturbed. Scogin said the company selected the site because regional grid models from Southwest Power Pool identified the nearby substation as one of the most congested locations in the region and that storage there would deliver locational value to ratepayers.
"We have secured 64 acres of land," Scogin said. "Our footprint is relatively small within that 64 acres; we'll disturb about 15 and the final footprint will be about 12." He said the project would use lithium‑iron‑phosphate battery chemistry rather than nickel‑manganese‑cobalt chemistries and described multiple safety measures, including 24/7 monitoring, battery management systems, spacing between enclosures and an emergency response plan developed with the fire department.
Why it matters: Commissioners, staff and residents pressed the developer on three central issues — public safety after widely publicized battery facility fires elsewhere, environmental review of species or habitats on the property, and the distribution of local benefits. Residents living immediately across Metropolitan Avenue also questioned noise, road impacts during construction and how decommissioning would be guaranteed.
Opponents and supporters both urged the commission to weigh risks against alternatives. Kelly Hogan, who lives directly across the street from the site, urged denial, saying regulatory standards and past BESS incidents create unacceptable community risk. "If the fans are throttled to reduce noise, then the thermal environment is no longer the same as the one that was tested," Hogan said, citing testing and emergency response concerns.
Several nearby landowners and organized labor offered support. Jim Serber, an engineer who lives adjacent to the property, said the negotiated conditions protect the neighborhood’s visual character and argued the conditional use permit provides better safeguards than many other possible developments. Wade Kiefer of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers said the project includes commitments to use union labor and local contractors. Greg Kendall of the Wyandotte Economic Development Council said deed restrictions and landscaping proposed by the developer reduce long‑term land‑use risk.
Staff response and conditions: Planning staff recommended approval with a set of conditions designed to address safety, site design and operational standards and proposed three additional conditions after public testimony: (1) require the developer to obtain a Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks report for the correct legal description of the property, (2) require an additional neighborhood meeting with staff before final development plan submittal, and (3) require that specific conditions be submitted with the final development plan for review by fire, public works and other agencies.
Commission action: Commissioner Jones moved to hold the special use permit (SP2025‑094) and preliminary plan review (PR2025‑039) for 30 days for an additional community meeting and inclusion of staff. The motion was amended to make the holdover contingent on receipt of the corrected Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks habitat report and set the next hearing for March 9, 2026. The chair announced the motion carried.
Next steps: The applicant will work with planning staff to schedule an additional neighborhood meeting, provide the updated wildlife/habitat verification, and submit the other materials staff requested with the final development plan. The item returns to the Planning Commission on March 9, 2026, and — if recommended — will move to the Unified Government Board of County Commissioners for final action.
