For over a year, residents in Ottawa County’s Blendon Township have pushed back against a proposed battery energy storage facility from Key Capture Energy. The company wants to build a 100 megawatt, 14-acre plant on 88th Avenue near Polk Street.
The BESS project, which stands for battery energy storage system, uses lithium-type batteries approximately the size of shipping containers to draw power from the electrical grid during non-peak hours, then releases the stored energy back into the grid when needed.
Residents’ concerns range from noise and fire hazards to potential environmental issues including building such a facility so close to farmland.
Over the past few months, the Blendon Township Planning Commission has issued conditions for the plant, such as fencing, noise buffers, and decommissioning regulations.
Key Capture says it will provide a decommissioning fund of over $4 million to remove the batteries and return the land to its current state once the batteries can no longer be used.
Commissioners could vote on the proposed facility on November 19th.
For a weekly dose of news right to your inbox, sign up for the WGVU newsletter.
