VITAL POLICY – Lithium-Ion Battery Facility Raises Questions of Public Safety, Economics, and Zoning Issues for Jefferson County

Jefferson County, Tennessee citizens would be well served if their government obtained answers to a set of burning questions (pun intended) before approval is granted to a power storage facility proposed for the Piedmont community to house six million (6,000,000) highly flammable lithium-ion batteries. The batteries would store electricity that TVA could use to “charge” the electrical grid during times of peak electrical demand, a process made necessary by the Biden Administration’s war on conventional fuels.

Battery fires are common in battery energy storage systems (BESS). If you have ever seen a fire on a lithium-ion battery powered electric car, you will understand the concerns and questions that are being raised by citizens and public officials. Victoria’s Tesla Big Battery catches fire | Wind Energy News (wind-watch.org)

“I have many questions and few answers about a potential “BESS” facility. Why Jefferson County? Citizens need answers before any action is taken.” – Austin Brooks, District 3 County Commissioner

TVA and other major power producing utilities have been charged with the unobtainable goal of nearly eliminating carbon-based energy. In doing so, all electric utilities are faced with planning for power shortages and raising consumer prices to artificially cut demand, essentially the European model of punishing consumers to fit a political agenda of artificial conservation, thus the need for battery power storage.

Jefferson County is geographically and economically situated to be the target of private firms that build and operate large battery storage facilities with its proximity to TVA substations, sloppy zoning regulations that are ill equipped to address battery facilities containing hazardous materials, and relatively inexpensive real estate.

“My main concerns about any proposed facility in our county (or anywhere, for that matter) are in our proposed [zoning] resolution 2023-16.  First, no hydrant (or water of any sort) is required even though water is critical – for cooling batteries to minimize possibility of explosion, and to put out wildfires that could be caused by sparks escaping from burning batteries.  And wouldn’t hydrants be a nice consolation gift for the neighborhood that will face the immediate threat. And second, no notification of neighbors is required.  These are the people whose homes may lose value, whose homeowner insurance may rise, and who will be the recipient of any negative long-term health effects of living near these batteries.” – Marian Knight, Jefferson County Resident

When they fail, lithium-ion batteries produce one hell of a fire that cannot be extinguished by conventional means, sometimes resulting in mass evacuations. The track record of failure is high and the preferred method of dealing with a fire is to let it burn out on its own, keeping enough water on the burning battery, and adjacent batteries, to prevent explosion and flame spread. Fire at AZ Lithium-Ion Battery Storage Site Now in Fifth Day, Evacuations Ordered – FirefighterNation: Fire Rescue – Firefighting News and Community

“These lithium cells can experience thermal runaway which causes them to release very hot flammable, toxic gases. In large storage systems, failure of one lithium cell can cascade to include hundreds of individual cells. The hot flammable gases can result in an explosion, or a very difficult to extinguish fire.” – Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) bulletin on lithium-ion batteries

Full FEMA report linked here: Emerging Hazards of Battery Energy Storage System Fires | FEMA.gov

There is no fire hydrant near the intersection of Lafayette and Bays Mountain Road, the location of the proposed battery facility. Under the site design, each of the two-hundred battery housing units will contain thirty-thousand batteries. How will fire fighters deal with toxic chemical releases and potential evacuations? With no fire hydrant in the area, and none required in the proposed zoning ordinance in proximity to the battery facility, will fire crews be able to shuttle enough water to prevent explosions and suppress flame spread?

Here is an account of what happened in Monterey California to a lithium-ion battery facility. Tesla Megapack battery caught fire at PG&E substation in California (cnbc.com)

Who in Jefferson County will be directly impacted by a battery fire? Based on prevailing wind patterns from NE to SW, Piedmont, Shady Grove, and Dandridge. This path includes Piedmont School, Patriot Academy, and Jefferson County High school.

Finally, the County Commission needs to evaluate the risk vs. benefit of a battery facility before acting and listen to the many citizens that have taken their time to research the issue. The BESS facility will generate some property tax revenue depending on how much, if any, corporate welfare is handed out in the form of tax abatements.

David Seal is a retired Jefferson County educator, recognized artist, local businessman, 917 Society Volunteer, and current Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party. He has also served Jefferson County as a County Commissioner and is a citizen lobbyist for the people on issues such as eminent domain, property rights, education, and broadband accessibility on the state level.