Kenosha County board approves temporary moratorium on new battery energy storage approvals after public outcry

Kenosha County supervisors on May 19 approved a temporary moratorium on consideration and issuance of building permits, conditional-use permits and zoning approvals for battery energy storage systems (BESS), following public testimony that urged the board to slow approvals and review local rules.

County Executive Samantha Kirkman, in her State of the County address earlier in the meeting, had urged a one-year moratorium to allow the county to address health, safety and zoning concerns related to recent battery-storage proposals in the Town of Wheatland. Her remarks preceded several citizens who spoke at length about a proposed Robin Energy project.

Nora Bass, reading a letter from Wheatland-area residents, said Robin Energy’s January proposal would place 192 lithium batteries on roughly 20 acres and lease an additional 52 acres for future expansion; she warned of fire risk, possible air and groundwater contamination, and said the company’s plan included a three-mile evacuation zone. Bass urged supervisors to "please say no to best storage in Wheatland." (speaker: Nora Bass)

Mike Windler, a retired electrical engineer who identified his credentials from the University of Wisconsin, argued supervisors should scrutinize the applicant structure for such projects. He said Robin Energy appeared to be a special-purpose vehicle tied to Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and cautioned that short-lived limited-liability entities can complicate accountability and liability for accidents. (speaker: Mike Windler)

Several supervisors said they supported pausing approvals to allow Planning and Development staff to draft ordinance updates, with Supervisor Balski emphasizing that committee review and red-line proposals would preserve public input and technical review. Supervisor Nudo said he had voted against suspending the rules earlier but would approve the moratorium resolution itself to allow the work to proceed.

Supervisor Morrissey moved the moratorium resolution and Supervisor Meadows seconded. The clerk conducted a roll-call vote; the board president later announced the resolution passed and instructed Planning and Development to prepare specific ordinance revisions and a red-line draft for supervisors to review.

The moratorium is a temporary policy measure that halts new approvals for BESS projects countywide while county staff and the Planning, Development and Extension Education Committee prepare proposed ordinance amendments and examine issues including emergency response, water supply for fire suppression, operational safety, and liability requirements.

The board’s action follows a visible local response to a proposed project in Wheatland and a public meeting earlier the same evening held by the applicant at the county’s Public Works Office. The moratorium does not prohibit existing permitted operations and does not itself adopt specific technical standards; it directs county staff and committees to develop ordinance language and return recommendations to the board.