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Commissioners add battery storage definition, table decommissioning language in solar ordinance review
Summary
Dodge County commissioners approved including a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) definition in the solar ordinance and changed the ordinance title; commissioners tabled additional decommissioning language pending a full ordinance review and asked the county manager to contact outside counsel about review fees.
The Dodge County Board of Commissioners voted Oct. 20 to insert a Battery Energy Storage System definition into the county's solar ordinance and to change the ordinance title to "Solar and/or Battery Storage Facility Ordinance." The action followed a presentation from County Manager Conner Bearden that revisions requested at a prior meeting had been made.
The board approved a motion by Commissioner Sharon Cobb Flanagan, seconded by Commissioner Leigh Ann Greene, to add a definition describing a battery storage facility — "also known as a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)" — including battery modules, a battery management system, enclosures, a thermal management system, transformers and communications equipment to connect and control the grid. Commissioner Flanagan's motion to change the ordinance title passed unanimously.
Commissioners discussed inserting battery storage verbiage into the ordinance's decommissioning section and whether battery‑specific provisions should appear elsewhere in the code. Commissioner Brian Watkins said the entire ordinance should be reviewed to ensure battery storage language is included where appropriate. Rather than adopt additional language immediately, Commissioner Flanagan moved to table the decommissioning item so staff and counsel could draft a comprehensive revision; the motion to table passed.
Commissioner Flanagan also proposed having Attorney Mark Straughan review the ordinance. Manager Bearden told the board the county's legal‑expenses budget had reached its allocation; after further discussion Commissioner Flanagan withdrew the motion. The board instead tasked Manager Conner Bearden with contacting Attorney Straughan to discuss fees so a review could proceed before the next meeting.
The board recorded the motions and approvals as part of its regular minutes. No public comment on the ordinance was recorded in the minutes.
