Expert warns Charlotte County commissioners that battery storage raises lifecycle and safety questions
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Summary
At a Sept. 27 Charlotte County Planning Commission work session, Joe Lerch of the Virginia Association of Counties said battery storage projects typically occupy about 5–8 acres, have roughly 15–20 year useful lives, and present unanswered disposal and fire-response challenges that the county should study.
At a Sept. 27 work session, Joe Lerch, director of local government policy for the Virginia Association of Counties, told the Charlotte County Planning Commission that battery energy storage projects typically require about 5–8 acres and are often sited near grid infrastructure or new substations to serve load centers.
"Average project size is usually 5–8 acres," Lerch said, and he cautioned that siting depends on storage technology and land availability. He added that larger installations may require new substation work and that some projects can be placed closer to denser population centers when appropriate.
Lerch identified several lifecycle and safety concerns county officials should consider. He said batteries currently have an approximate 15–20 year useful life and will need replacement, and that ‘‘disposal solutions for old batteries remains an unknown.’’ He also flagged fire hazards and the potential release of toxins during a fire, noting that first-responder training would be a critical local responsibility.
Lerch said a report from the state energy storage task force, on which he serves, should be available soon. He told commissioners that Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) staff anticipate developing a "permit by rule" process for storage similar to DEQ's solar facility review by the end of 2021, while the State Corporation Commission (SCC) review process might be an alternative permitting pathway.
Local examples and regulatory mechanics were part of the discussion: Lerch said Sussex County has approved an application and Halifax County has received one, and he cited an Appalachian Power Company (APCO) 4 MW project associated with a hydro facility. He recommended that Charlotte County examine siting agreements like those used for utility-scale solar for projects larger than 5 MW.
Commissioners and staff asked the presenter to follow up on several outstanding research items, including whether storage could provide backup power to local customers during outages, how to address potential mid-life technology changes at approved sites, and how to handle large-scale disposal in the event of damage or failure. Participants also raised financial-assurance questions, such as whether a line of credit from a limited liability company would provide sufficient security for cleanup and remediation.
The work session ended without formal action; county staff and commissioners signaled they would track the forthcoming task-force report and follow up with additional research and training plans for first responders.