Suri planning again postpone the vote on the ordinance to allow battery storage – Smithfield Times

The Surry County Planning Commission again postponed the vote to pass a proposed amendment to the zoning regulation to allow battery storage facilities.

The draft language was requested by an Idaho -based cleanser that wanted to build a 20 -acre facility capable of storeing up to 320 meters of electricity near White Marsh Road. The language would add a “battery energy storage system” as a defined “civil use” authorized in agricultural rural or industrial-zoned parcels through a conditional authorization.

After the planning committee votes on its recommendation, the issue will be directed to the Council of Supervisory Authorities for Public Hearing and Final Voting. Once this happens, Clenera can return with an application for a conditional use permit for its specific project.

Earlier, the planning committee postponed the issue in December at its meeting in January. The additional delay is to give time to the county employees to include a series of changes that the commissioners recommended on January 27.

Commissioner David Cogin, who was absent from the January 27th meeting, recommended in December to add a gravel buffer outside the required fence on the site to further mitigate the likelihood of a forest fire in case one of the battery overheated. He had written to his fellow commissioners before the January meeting, recommending that this buffer be at least 25 feet.

Commissioner Diane Shek also repeated his recommendation in December to maximize the permitted noise level of the current standard 72 decibel, measured by the ownership line of a neighboring plot. She recommended 40 decibels measured by the closest residence.

“There were so many complaints that we are getting from solar projects,” Cheke said.

The noise associated with solar farms usually comes from inverters that convert direct current into the alternating current bed into the power supply. The noise of battery storage systems is usually from the cooling systems used on individual batteries, according to a study by the Acoustic Society of America.

Cheek also proposed to increase the failure requirements, although the chairman of the planning committee Giron Wooden stated that this was something that the planning committee may recommend on a case -by -case basis as a condition when the battery storage developer applies for permission for permission for Conditional use.

“You need to look at the resources needed for an energy battery storage facility; You will not place a storage facility for energy batteries to Lebanon Road’s apartments, “Wooden said. “They go to a transmission line and in most cases you do not have housing developments to a transmission line. If you do, then we look at the glass there. “

In early 2024, Surry Supervisory Authorities approved a new neighborhood to zoning “New Technologies” and resonated approximately 600 acres for the proposed Middleburg Green Energy Partners, proposed for first -born fuel and data center, powered by small, modular rejoices , or SMR. This zoning area already allows battery storage, but does not impose local regulations specific to battery massifs with the size of containers that have become contradictory to the risk of fire.

The proposed ordinance would require the units of storage of batteries to include 24/7 automated fire detection and built -in fire suppression technology.

Clenera says battery storage arrays increase the reliability of the electricity network against the background of increasing demand for electricity, for which the Joint Audit Committee and Review of Legislature on December 9 or JLARC, the General Assembly report says it is guided by the distribution of data centers.

The rechargeable units themselves consist of separate cells, which are placed in what is known as a module and are stored in racks similar to the server tower of the data center. These shelves and battery control system programmed to maintain the units at an acceptable temperature, then placed in the final external device.

In addition to reinforcing the reliability of the power line, Clenera estimates that its Surry site will generate $ 4.9 million in tax revenue for the county in 20 years.