County reviews battery energy storage needs: height limits, safety buffers and fee clarity
Consultants and staff discussed battery energy storage systems (BESS) and asked to clarify height allowances (transformers ~35 ft, protective masts 60–70 ft), setback rules, and whether the $50,000 base review fee for solar should also apply to battery projects.
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Consultant Brad Johnson briefed the board on incoming battery energy storage system (BESS) projects and regulatory gaps in the unified development ordinance (UDO). He told members the transformer and protective equipment for BESS installations often exceed the existing 20-foot height limit and said the transformer alone may need to be around 35 feet, with a protective mast (what he called a 'dead end') potentially reaching 60–70 feet.
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