BLENDON TWP. — The Blendon Township Planning Commission focused on fire safety during the body’s most recent meeting on a proposed battery energy storage system from Key Capture Energy.
Key Capture Energy is seeking special land use approval for the 12-acre development at 8284 88th Ave. The application requires various exemptions, which officials have discussed at length over the past several months.
During a meeting Feb. 10, the commission approved exemptions related to the project’s shared driveway and parcel size. During a meeting April 15, officials focused on the site’s future decommissioning — expected after 20-25 years.
During a special meeting May 6, Blendon Township Fire Chief Kurt Gernaat listed a number of conditions for KCE, covering fire code compliance, required signage, access needs and snow removal.
According to representatives from KCE, a large-scale fire test will be conducted once the site’s batteries are fully charged, showing how a fire may spread and what — if any — harmful contaminants may be released. KCE also agreed to annual meetings with BTFD to provide specialized training for battery fire response.
“Once the proper training has been given, I have full confidence that (my people will) be able to do the job,” Gernaat said.
KCE agreed to either provide a new tanker truck for BTFD or install a 50,000-gallon on-site water tank. Executive Vice President of Technology Joel Vyduna leaned toward providing a new resource for Blendon Township.
“That’s a piece of infrastructure (they) can use for the benefit of the (community),” he said.
KCE noted full development fires are rare across the industry — adding that, when they’ve happened, they’ve been contained to the BESS.
What is a BESS?
BESS developments store energy during times of low demand to be used during times of peak demand, in an attempt to prevent blackouts and brownouts.
According to KCE Senior Manager of Public Affairs Chris Linsmayer, the company has 14 developments across the United States, including eleven in Texas and three in New York. The project in Blendon Township would be the company’s first in Michigan.
The development would supply energy to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator Grid, which the federal government pegged as underpowered when ordering the coal-fired J.H. Campbell Plant to remain open past a planned closure in May 2025.
MISO is also expected to see the restart of Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in 2026.
According to a report by Aurora Research, commissioned by the American Clean Power Association, the deployment of more than 10,000 megawatts of energy storage between 2025 and 2035 could help the region covered by MISO save more than $4.5 billion in energy costs.
Where does the proposal stand in Blendon Township?
If Blendon Township denies the project’s application, KCE could turn to the Michigan Public Service Commission under Public Act 233, which shifts approval authority for some solar, wind and energy storage projects.
If approved, the BESS could go online in early 2029.
— Cassidey Kavathas is the politics and court reporter at The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at ckavathas@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on X @cassideykava.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: KCE may supply new tanker truck to Blendon Twp. Fire. Here’s why
Reporting by Cassidey Kavathas, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
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