Land for new energy storage projects

What is an energy storage project?

An energy storage project is a cluster of battery banks (or modules) that are connected to the electrical grid. These battery banks are roughly the same size as a shipping container. These are also called Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), or grid-scale/utility-scale energy storage or battery storage systems.

What permitting regimes apply to battery energy storage projects?

There are three distinct permitting regimes that apply in developing battery energy storage projects, depending upon the owner, developer, and location of the project. The increasing mandates and incentives for the rapid deployment of energy storage are resulting in a boom in the deployment of utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS).

What are some examples of land use changes?

One manifestation of those changes is the introduction of new land uses into our communities, land uses whose risks, conflicts, and synergies with existing land uses are uncertain or unknown by the host communities. One such example is the rapid increase in use of battery energy storage systems (BESS) and related technologies.

Why do we need energy storage technologies?

The rapid increase in variable renewable energy development (especially solar and wind) creates a large market for energy storage technologies to control the flow of energy between power generators and end uses on the grid and mitigate energy spikes or power quality issues.

Do energy storage systems need zoning standards?

Consequently, zoning standards are generally not necessary for these energy storage systems. Define BESS as a land use, separate from electric generation or production but consistent with other energy infrastructure, such as substations. BESS have potential community benefits when sited with other electric grid infrastructure.

Are batteries the new energy storage technology?

While non-battery energy storage technologies (e.g., pumped hydroelectric energy storage) are already in widespread use, and other technologies (e.g., gravity-based mechanical storage) are in development, batteries are and will likely continue to be the primary new electric energy storage technology for the next several decades.