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For just over three months, the Charlotte County Planning Commission asked questions, reviewed data and debated, before saying they didn’t have enough time to make a recommendation about solar battery storage facilities. The board of supervisors agreed, so now the group is being asked to dive back in and take another look at the issue. 

During their Wednesday, March 12 meeting, the Charlotte County Board of Supervisors officially voted to send the issue back to the planning commission. The situation is one affecting both Charlotte and neighboring counties. Prince Edward supervisors in recent weeks voted down a proposal for what would have been a massive solar complex with a battery storage facility. One of the concerns that had been raised by both nearby residents and supervisors is what would happen if that building or the equipment inside caught on fire? Prince Edward officials asked that of a solar company executive during one of their planning commission meetings, only to be jokingly told if it happens, “run”. 

The list of concerns is pretty long, when it comes to battery storage solar facilities. There’s a limited lifespan, shorter than many of the other solar projects. The batteries also degrade over time, leading to both high maintenance costs and the potential for metals to seep into the ground. And there’s also the safety concerns, ranging in everything from overheating to fires and other problems if the batteries are not installed or maintained properly. That’s why Charlotte County supervisors want to have a policy in place before a company proposes bringing in one of these facilities. 

Battery storage: what to work on

Commission members already know exactly what to work on. Over the last month, they detailed a number of issues the county needs answers to, before a policy can be put together. First, they recommended that Charlotte County talk with all seven local fire chiefs about the fire risk associated with battery storage. The question is should those risks need to be addressed by the county or should Charlotte make developers responsible for that as part of the permit process.

Second, the commission raised a red flag about how close to some of Charlotte’s towns these storage facilities could be, which might be dangerous if a fire were to get out of control. Third, the commission wanted to look into the decommissioning process. Basically, what happens when the batteries are deteriorating and the facilities get shut down? Who would be responsible to make sure it doesn’t damage the environment? 

In addition to the concerns raised by the planning commission, there has been discussion about Charlotte County setting up a minimum lot size, to guarantee that these facilities, if approved, would be far away from other residences. 

What happens next? 

Now the planning commission goes back to work. Over their next several months, they’ll hold meetings and engage in discussions. There is no deadline for a recommendation to come to supervisors, so they have as much time as needed.