Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Battery Storage topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Staff flags state permitting change that could streamline battery storage approvals
Summary
Planning staff told the committee that a forthcoming state standard could create a consolidated permit option for battery storage projects, with larger systems routed to state permitting and smaller systems handled locally.
Committee members received an update that the state is developing a new permitting standard intended to consolidate approvals for certain battery storage projects and make it optional for developers to pursue a single consolidated permit rather than multiple local approvals.
A planning staff member said the state will likely tier projects: smaller systems would be permitted locally and larger ones would require state review. The staff member cautioned the state is still finalizing safety logistics related to battery storage and that the committee should await final DEP/DOER guidance before changing local regulations.
Members said they had already received several inquiries from companies seeking storage and noted the city is generally fast at issuing permits. The committee agreed to monitor state guidance and to coordinate with legal staff on how the consolidated process would interact with local site-plan review.
