The developer behind a controversial battery energy storage site project proposed for a site in Wheatland has filed an application with the state Public Service Commission.
Robin Energy Storage LLC is seeking a certificate of public convenience and necessity for the construction of a new 200 megawatt battery energy storage system in Wheatland north of Highway 50 and north of New Munster on 60 acres near an existing power substation. The current application calls for 200 BESS containers, with 44 additional containers and 11 power conversion containers for future possible use.
Robin Energy’s project was rejected at the town and county levels, leaving the PSC route for approval its most viable option.
Opponents of the project have cited concerns about environmental dangers, groundwater contamination and danger of fire.
Local reaction was swift.
From Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman:
“I am disappointed that Robin Energy has decided to sidestep our countywide moratorium on Battery Energy Storage Systems by filing its application with the state. I stand with the people of the Town of Wheatland and other Kenosha County residents in opposition to this project. While we have not yet had the opportunity to review the application in detail, it is my understanding that the storage system is not going to supply new power to the residents of Kenosha County or otherwise impact power rates. I don’t believe day trading of power ultimately addresses the need for additional power generation, and I hear and appreciate the concerns of residents in the area.”
From County Board Chairman Mark Nordigian and county Supervisor Erin Decker (whose district includes the Robin BESS site):
“The Kenosha County Board has also made clear that this issue warrants careful consideration. On May 19, the County Board voted unanimously, 22-0, to impose a 12-month moratorium on consideration of new battery energy storage permits and zoning approvals while the county evaluates these facilities and their potential impacts. The Town of Wheatland has likewise formally called on Wisconsin lawmakers to establish stronger statewide standards for large-scale battery energy storage projects. The concerns we have heard from residents in Wheatland are serious and include questions about fire safety, emergency response, environmental impacts, agricultural land use, and the long-term effects of placing a large-scale industrial energy facility in this location. Those concerns deserve to be fully considered. While we have not yet had the opportunity to review Robin Energy’s newly submitted application in detail, we believe the Public Service Commission should give meaningful consideration to the concerns raised by the Town of Wheatland, its residents, and local officials. We stand with the people of Wheatland who have made their position clear. We will continue to listen to residents, work with the Town and our colleagues on the County Board, and advocate for a process in which the voices of the people who live closest to this proposed facility are heard and given serious consideration.”
No information on next steps — such as dates for a hearing to gather public opinion — is apparent from the case material available online.
There has been some question in the past — including expressed by Robin representatives — about whether a stand alone BESS project comes under PSC authority. However, the PSC does outline application requirements for new energy storage system projects “whether as a stand-alone project or as part of a larger electric generating facility or transmission line project application.” in a document on its website.
In January, three of four land use requests related to the proposed battery energy storage system project in Wheatland received unfavorable recommendations from the town Plan Commission. Robin then withdrew the project from further local consideration before the Town Board could formally weigh-in.
“If you cannot go through Wheatland and Kenosha County then you go through the state,” said Robin representative Jon Porvaznik.
Robin had offered the town through a Joint Development Agreement $8.6 million across the 20-year life of the project, according to Robin documents submitted to Kenosha County planning. But that agreement was voided when the project failed to get local approval.
Some local governments within Kenosha County have passed ordinances seeking to regulate the placement of BESS projects including Bristol, Paddock Lake and Pleasant Prairie.
Paris, where a BESS facility is located in conjunction with a solar farm, adopted a resolution in July asking state lawmakers to limit BESS facilities.
