A meeting on battery storage projects in Wheatland will be held Wednesday starting at 7 p.m. at Wheatland Center School.
Opponents of placing a battery storage project in Wheatland sought the meeting in order to discuss the issue outside of the regular Town Board meeting format.
The agenda posted for the meeting says there will be open discussion regarding such a proposal in Wheatland and possible action by the Wheatland Town Board “regarding batter storage matters.”
In January, three of four land use requests related to a proposed battery energy storage system project in Wheatland received unfavorable recommendations from the town Plan Commission. The company behind the proposal, Robin Energy Storage, then withdrew the project from further consideration before the Town Board could formally weigh-in.
Robin was proposing a battery energy storage system facility located on approximately 12 acres within an approximately 19-acre tract of land east of 392nd Avenue and north of Highway 50 in Wheatland. The site is especially apt, Robin representatives said, because it is adjacent to an existing electrical substation.
Robin had proposed to pay the town about $8 million over 20 years under a joint development agreement if the project won town approval and moved forward to completion.
Local opponents are concerned Robin will seek some other avenue to place the facility in Wheatland. They cite concerns about fire hazards and environmental harm related to possible accidents at such facilities.
