Planning commission recommends stricter rules for solar farms and battery storage

The Cass County Planning Commission on a voice vote recommended changes to local rules governing commercial solar farms and associated battery energy storage systems (BESS), adding stricter setbacks, noise-testing requirements and emergency-response procedures.

Planning staff summarized the draft amendments as changes to definitions, notice procedures and technical standards so battery storage sited with solar farms must meet additional safety and operational requirements. Planning staff said the draft requires signage and an updated contact within 60 days of any ownership change and calls for pre-construction and post-construction noise studies; commissioners agreed to require those studies be conducted by an independent third party.

Commissioners also debated new setback rules and how many sides of a residence a solar field may border. The draft would generally limit solar on a residence to two sides unless a third side sits at least 1,320 feet away; staff said the rule can be accompanied by a waiver process for special circumstances. On battery facilities, the commission discussed a larger separation from residences (the draft raised one standard from 300 to 500 feet) and asked staff to clarify how setbacks would apply to participating and nonparticipating properties.

The proposed changes require an operation and maintenance plan and an emergency-response and training plan for local emergency services; planning staff recommended the plans be submitted and—by commissioners’ direction—be approved and periodically reviewed. "We want to make sure there are measures for maintaining safe access, stormwater controls and emergency procedures," planning staff said during the presentation.

Public commenters urged additional safeguards. A nearby resident, Laura Redwick, asked the commission to require the latest editions of national standards and to consider nighttime noise limits and soil/acreage limits for panels. "There needs to be a combination of metrics for sound and a clear standard so people know what will change at night," she said. Gary Rock, an electrician with on-the-ground experience, pressed the commission on containment and long-term failure modes for batteries, calling for dual containment (membrane plus concrete) and clarity on how conduit penetrations are handled.

Commissioners also discussed requiring decommissioning plans, drainage agreements that address tile and crop damage, and visual buffers planted closer to residences (a 20-foot planting strip was proposed) to make buffers effective. After edits to incorporate third-party noise testing, emergency-response review and containment language, the commission voted to recommend the ordinance amendments to the county commissioners, directing staff to incorporate the changes discussed at the hearing before forwarding the package.

The county commissioners are the final decision-makers; the planning commission’s vote is a recommendation only. Planning staff said the edits will be made and the ordinance drafts will go to the commissioners for their consideration.