Greene County Commission rejects proposed battery energy storage facility

A two-member panel of the Greene County Commission rejected a request to rezone 40 acres of property for a proposed battery energy storage facility.

Nearly 100 people turned out for this morning’s hearing on a proposal by Birmingham, Alabama-based developer Sofos Power to rezone 40 acres at 4873 N. Rocky Lane to a plot assignment district from agricultural for applicant David L. Gaddis Revocable Trust et al.

Sofos Power was looking to install a battery energy storage system to be used by local and regional energy providers to support the energy grid by storing energy during low-demand periods and releasing it when demand is higher, according to a staff report on the proposal.

The Greene County Planning Board voted against the proposal following a hearing Feb. 17. That board includes six members and a rotating member of the Greene County Commission, with Rusty MacLachlan participating on Feb. 17.

Today’s hearing was overseen by two commissioners, MacLachlan and John Russell, with Bob Dixon absent for his daughter’s wedding.

After hearing testimony by four Sofos Power representatives who were in favor of the project and about two dozen residents who were opposed, commissioners offered a quick ruling.

MacLachlan said the risk of fire at the site is low, but if there were a fire, it would be catastrophic. He added, “That location I think is a terrible location.”

Russell said he had substantial concerns over the application, particularly the fact that Sofos Power, with a background in solar energy, has not built a facility similar to the one proposed.

“We would be the test case on that, and personally, I’m unwilling to be the test case on this and throw residents at risk,” he said.

Representatives of Sofos testified that the project would cost $285 million, and its equipment would generate personal property tax revenue of $19 million. There would also be a 20-year property tax impact of $9 million over 20 years, they testified. The 20-year impact to Springfield Public Schools was estimated at $6.2 million, with $1.6 million to the Ebenezer Fire Protection District.

Resident testimony was unanimously opposed to the project.

Residents’ concerns were wide ranging, but groundwater contamination to the karst geology was a leading one, including possible contamination to a key water source for the city of Springfield: McDaniel Lake.

“This is bigger than a backyard issue for the city,” said Springfield hydrogeologist Blake Smotherman, noting resources are readily available to provide an idea of what would happen in the event of a fire.

Other concerns ranged from lack of specific decommissioning information, wear on roadways, noise effects on people and animals, and firefighting challenges.

The youngest person to testify was Jackson Cotner, who appeared with his mother, Leah, and is a student at Pleasant View Elementary. Jackson Cotner cited the aftereffects of the Moss Landing battery storage facility fire in Monterey County, California. There, the recommendation is that people leave their shoes outside of their residences and wash their hands and clothing after outdoor play to remove contaminants.

Jackson said he is athletic and plays outside a lot.

“Please consider my future,” he said, adding that both his school and his home rely on well water.

Sofos Power representative Alex Fukuchi, director of development, testified that the company has been working in the business development field for 20 years, starting in Spain and based in Birmingham, Alabama, since 2017. The company has focused exclusively on standalone battery storage systems since 2023 with a focus on solar.

Fukuchi said Sofos Power takes a project from the idea and inception stage all the way up to construction, a period he said is sometimes referred to as the predevelopment window.

Fukuchi said resident concerns are understandable, he cited data from the Electric Power Research Institute and kWh Analytics Inc. showing that although battery storage system installations have dramatically increased in the U.S., the number of fires dropped 98% from 2018 and 2024.

Russell praised the members of the public for showing up to voice their concerns, noting, “This is the way this process is supposed to work.”