JEFFERSON COUNTY, Tennessee — The Jefferson County Commission voted on July 27 to effectively ban the development of a battery energy storage system, barring departments and commissions from issuing permits or approvals for developing one.
Developers previously suggested building one to give TVA extra power during periods of high demand. The BESS project, proposed by energy developers Plus Power, would have been a 250 MW, or 1,000 MWh, battery storage system. They said it could have helped households in Knoxville and beyond avoid experiencing rolling blackouts.
However, critics of the project said they were worried about whether it would be safe. Some said they were worried it could catch fire, resulting in a severe incident that the county's and city's fire department infrastructure may not be able to properly respond to.
The BESS proposed for Piedmont is in a small farming community. It sits just a few miles from an elementary school.
The resolution passed on Thursday prevents permits from being issued until at least Jan. 27, 2024. It also effectively creates a moratorium on BESS proposals until at least the least same date.
The resolution passed 16-1. However, the county's legal counsel raised concern during a meeting about a new law in effect, saying the county may face legal challenges since developers had already submitted a site plan.
"Public Chapter 453 casts doubt on whether or not the legislature even wants moratoriums," the commission's legal counsel said. "Again, I want to stress, this law went into effect July 1. It's not been tested, there ain't no permits, there are no definitions."
He said that if the site plan previously given by developers could be legally considered an application to build the BESS, then based on the law the moratorium may not apply.