Halifax County supervisors advance battery energy storage ordinance draft, 6–2

The Halifax County Board of Supervisors voted 6–2 to authorize staff to move forward with drafting a local ordinance governing battery energy storage systems, using subject-matter support from the Berkeley Group and subject to review by the county attorney.

Board members said they wanted to act ahead of anticipated changes at the state level in Richmond so Halifax County can preserve local control over siting and payment obligations. One supervisor expressed concern about the cost and asked why the draft had not initially been prepared by county legal counsel; other members said the Berkeley Group offers technical expertise and that any draft would be routed to the county attorney for legal review before final action.

The vote was taken by roll call. Supervisor Rowland voted no; Supervisor McDowell voted no. Chair Roller, Supervisor Oaks, Supervisor Witt, Vice Chair Smart, Supervisor Thompson and Supervisor Claybrook voted yes. The motion passed 6–2.

Board materials indicate the county will combine technical drafting support with a formal legal review to ensure coordination with existing county code. No ordinance text was adopted in the meeting; the action authorized staff to begin drafting and return with legal-recommended language and any modifications for further board consideration.

What happens next: staff will accept the drafting assistance, route the resulting ordinance language to the county attorney for review, and bring a revised ordinance back to the board for possible public hearing and formal adoption at a future meeting.