Battery energy storage systems (BESSs) will play a critical role in clean energy deployment, yet much is unknown at the local level about how to site these facilities. GPI recently rolled out a framework for local governments and community planners in an article published in the American Planning Association’s Zoning Practice.
The article creates a foundation for how these systems—rarely addressed in local land use regulations—fit with local land use plans and zoning regulations. We share findings from our national research and a deeper dive into a Minnesota case study that together make the case for best practices as the basis for potential new regulations.
As we see with solar and wind energy projects, gaps and variations in land use and environmental standards can create a barrier to clean energy deployment and contribute to uncertainty that results in community opposition to projects.
GPI is working to proactively equip people, organizations, and local governments to plan for, site, and regulate projects that deliver host community benefits and speed deployment.
Key takeaways from our BESS research
Declining costs for clean energy technology and rapidly increasing investment in infrastructure are transforming the US energy system. As part of that transformation, many communities are becoming hosts to new land uses, which come with new opportunities and risks, uncertainties, and conflicts with existing land uses.
BESSs and related technologies are one example of such new land uses. Large-scale BESSs are being implemented as part of utility substations, transmission systems, and solar and wind generation projects. Smaller battery systems frequently appear in behind-the-meter applications in association with rooftop solar.
Here are key takeaways from our BESS research:
- Communities across the US are experiencing increased utility-scale BESS deployment as part of new energy generation projects, primarily solar and wind.
- While BESSs are a new land use that communities are unfamiliar with and raise health and safety concerns, the risks are not dissimilar to well-known and long-established land uses that also store energy: gasoline stations, propane and ammonia businesses, and grain elevators.
- BESSs offer great value to the local and regional energy system. Communities need to assess how to host new clean energy technologies, including distributed generation, utility-scale generation, expanded grid infrastructure, and energy storage facilities.
- Planners and local decision makers need to understand the basics of energy storage technologies, associated risks, community benefits, and differences from existing forms of energy storage to effectively integrate BESS into local land use plans and regulations.
Minnesota example shows need for consistent battery storage standards
GPI recently partnered with an independent electric cooperative, Connexus, to understand how stationary battery storage facilities would be treated under the zoning code and permitting processes in its service territory. As part of this collaboration, GPI reviewed local ordinances, conducted surveys, and interviewed land use planners to understand the regulatory landscape as Connexus worked to deploy BESSs on its distribution system.
Connexus serves the northern metro area of the Minneapolis and St. Paul metropolitan region. As we discuss in our article, Connexus looked at strategically deploying stationary energy storage “to lower costs and improve reliability as load growth continued and climate-related weather vulnerabilities increased.”
Focusing on communities that host distribution substations, GPI’s review and interviews revealed that most jurisdictions did not have specific regulations for battery storage. Different communities recommended significantly different regulatory treatments of BESSs. Moreover, most respondents were unfamiliar with the purpose of, need for, and land use impacts and risks associated with battery storage.
This case reveals the importance of establishing zoning best practices as BESS projects become more common. One crucial component is educating and training local planners and decision makers to understand the role and risks of battery storage.
Connexus employs a proactive approach to address concerns and uncertainties, engaging with local government officials and first responders, providing education on battery safety and chemistry, showcasing local reliability and cost savings, and presenting existing facilities as examples of success.
GPI continues to inform BESS siting standards and build community partnerships
GPI is leading the development of local and state siting tools and standards that will enable applications like BESSs to fit within existing regulatory frameworks and gain social license in host communities.
Policy makers, utilities, clean energy advocates, and others recognize the role of battery storage in achieving carbon-free electricity targets. As identified in the recent Energy Storage System Capacity Study Report published by the State of Minnesota, substantial new battery deployment is coming. As discussed in a recent Star Tribune article, Minnesota “is on the brink of a large-scale rollout of mega batteries over the next six years.”
To smooth the way for this rollout, GPI will continue to provide leadership in resolving siting dilemmas and identifying ways to build partnerships with host communities on the clean energy transformation.
