The Caroline County Planning Commission typically meets on the fourth Thursday of each month.
But with a July 1 deadline looming to get an ordinance in place regulating solar and battery storage facilities, the commission moved its monthly meeting up one week to this past Thursday.
“We have to act on something tonight,” Commission Chair Richard Williams said, “because if we don’t act, then July 1, it hits the fan.”
Following a public hearing, the commission voted 6-0 to recommend the board of supervisors amend an ordinance to govern solar energy facilities in the county. The supervisors will hold a public hearing on the issue on Tuesday.
There are no approved solar projects currently in Caroline, but the rush is because Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed SB443 — a bill that permits battery storage facilities by-right when accompanied by an approved solar project — into law.
“All the counties are scrambling,” said new Commissioner Mary Hodge, who participated in her first meeting Thursday following the death of Bowling Green District Commissioner Bob Schwartz last month.
The vote recommends the supervisors amend the county’s zoning ordinance to repeal and replace the section on the Solar Energy Overlay District.
A county memo states that the purpose of the amendments is to “ensure consistency and compliance with new state legislation.” The amendments address provisions relating to solar, energy storage, utilities, and power generation.
“No solar should be allowed by-right; it all should be in a special exception permit,” Hodge said.
The county currently doesn’t permit standalone battery storage facilities, so one would have to come along with an approved solar project.
Caroline Fire Chief Jason Loftus provided a presentation to the planning commission detailing the potential hazards of utility-scale battery technology facilities. According to his presentation, there is a high fire and explosion risk for three of the 11 types of commonly used battery technology, a high risk of toxic plume for two and a high environmental risk for one.
Loftus noted that lithium iron phosphate is the dominant utility-scale battery technology in North America, and is the industry standard. He said it poses a moderate risk for fire, explosions, toxic plume (hazardous airborne pollutants), and the environment. Loftus said plenty of battery storage facilities across the country have caused issues in communities, including a lithium battery plant in Monterey, California, that caught fire last year and burned for days, prompting evacuations and school shutdowns.
“All batteries, no matter where you buy them, how you buy them, have some manufacturing defect in them, and it’s generally those defects that cause the kind of conditions that require [handling] of fire and explosion,” Loftus said.
Loftus added that when batteries start to fail they “off-gas” or produce hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide. He said that’s a precursor to batteries going bad.
“If that gas builds up, it can explode if it’s in a container,” Loftus said.
The board of supervisors will vote on whether to finalize the ordinance on Tuesday. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the Caroline Community Services Center, 17202 Richmond Turnpike, Milford, Virginia 22514.
