Following in the footsteps of several other US jurisdictions this year, officials at California’s Orange County are one step closer to amending zoning laws to allow the development of BESS. 

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin recently held a press conference in Hauppauge, New York, to address the concerns of battery energy storage system (BESS) installations with Long Islanders.

After imposing a moratorium on the development of new battery storage projects in January 2024, officials in Solano County, California, have adopted new zoning standards for the technology.

Miami, Florida-based developer Spearmint Energy has been given the go-ahead to develop a 300MW/600MWh lithium-ion BESS destined for Texas City in the Lone Star State. 

Officials at the Zoning Board of Appeals for Hamilton County, Indiana, have rejected an application for a lithium iron phosphate BESS from developer Aypa Power.

In a move that might offer encouraging signs for the deployment of energy storage in the US Midwest, officials in Nebraska’s capital city, Lincoln, have recommended updates to zoning laws to allow large-scale battery storage.

Renewable energy developer-operator Arevon Energy has begun construction on the 300MW/1,200MWh Nighthawk Energy Storage Project in Poway, California, US.

Independent power producer (IPP) Arevon Energy CEO, Kevin Smith, speaks with Energy-Storage.news Premium about the importance of community engagement in developing BESS projects.

Developer Rhynland Energy has applied to Massachusetts’ energy regulator for approval of a 180MW/720MWh standalone BESS, to the dismay of local authorities in the Town of Oakham.

Community engagement is an important part of battery energy storage system (BESS) project development. Not engaging with a community or even engaging minimally can stop a project dead in its tracks, delaying development.