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Public urges caution on battery storage and artificial turf; caller asks about cannabis siting
Summary
Pinelands Alliance urged careful siting of battery energy storage and raised concerns about artificial turf hidden in large funding packages; a Waterford Township caller asked how cannabis facilities are treated in agricultural districts and Director Chuck Horner said cannabis-growing is generally treated as an agricultural crop under Commission regulations.
Pinelands Alliance and individual callers used the general public comment period to press the Commission on a set of land-use issues connected to renewable energy, artificial turf and cannabis siting.
Peggy Ye of the Pinelands Alliance said the Commission should examine where battery energy storage systems are appropriate, noting storage can help levelize intermittent solar and wind output but must be sited and connected to the grid in ways that avoid stranded generation. Ye also thanked the Commission for prior discussions on artificial turf and said residents often do not learn about turf installations that are embedded in larger spending packages.
During a phone-in comment, Matt Dinazzo of Waterford Township asked how the Commission handles development of cannabis facilities in agricultural districts, noting some proposals include very large indoor operations and expressing concern that CMP rule 7:50-6.64 provides an exemption tied to right-to-farm protections. Commission Director Chuck Horner responded that, in general, the Commission treats cannabis cultivation in agricultural production areas like other crops; indoor-only growing operations are reviewed in the same manner as other indoor crop production. Horner also said that the right-to-farm protections do not supersede state regulations and invited the caller to follow up with the regulatory staff for case-specific advice.
A former commissioner also used public comment time to criticize a commissioner who has frequently missed finance commission meetings and urged that the governor's office consider appointing a replacement who will attend meetings; the speaker noted the Commission lacks direct authority to remove members for nonattendance.
What comes next: staff encouraged members of the public to contact regulatory staff for application-specific questions; Commission staff will continue to evaluate emerging siting issues for battery storage and artificial turf as part of CMP implementation work.
