- BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems) pose fire, explosion, and chemical hazards that can affect nearby properties
- Local fire departments may need special protocols; fires could trigger evacuations
- Zoning and land use laws regulate industrial-style installations — neighbors can legally object
- BESS systems create noise, heat, and potential runoff, affecting nearby living conditions and environment
- Property values and insurance risks can be impacted for adjacent landowners
- If the BESS ties into the public power grid, it affects shared infrastructure and reliability
- Utility interconnection may require PUC filings or other public regulatory oversight
- Overall, it creates public risk and infrastructure impact, beyond the private fence line
Chapter 312 and 313 tax abatements make this a public concern
- Chapter 312 (county) and 313 (school district) abatements use public tax dollars to subsidize private projects
- The public — including you — is paying for part of this project through lost revenue
- Public hearings and notices are legally required; residents can object or demand conditions
- You have a legal right to speak up as a taxpayer and community member
- BESS projects create few jobs, making the economic return questionable for the community
- The school district may lose funding for years, hurting education to benefit a corporation
- The project may bring long-term land use and valuation consequences
- This is a corporate land development subsidized by public money — not a private homestead improvement