Committee remands proposed BESS ordinance changes to ZBA to add NFPA 855 safety measures

The Champaign County Environmental and Land Use Committee remanded a proposed amendment to the county zoning ordinance concerning battery energy storage systems (BESS) back to the Zoning Board of Appeals for additional drafting and public review.

John, a county planning staff member, told the committee that staff and the ZBA had incorporated much of NFPA 855—the national fire‑safety standard for battery storage—into the draft language and that the ZBA had recommended adding separation distances and access requirements. John said, “all of the safety requirements are taken directly from NFPA 855,” and recommended adding three specific paragraphs addressing minimum side and rear yards, inverter siting and sound considerations, and fencing setbacks.

The three additional items staff asked the ZBA to consider were: a 100‑foot minimum side and rear yard for Tier 2 BESS equipment (other than fencing and inverters); guidance that inverters be sited as far from property lines as possible and that inverter locations less than 275 feet from the perimeter fence require special approval and potential sound‑mitigation; and a requirement that Tier 2 BESS fencing be at least 26 feet from adjacent property lines (except railroad or electrical substation lots). Committee members said there was no imminent BESS application but that adding the NFPA‑based standards now would create clearer, implementable rules for future proposals.

The committee motioned to remand the draft ordinance language to the ZBA for incorporation of the recommended paragraphs and public hearing; the motion passed by voice vote. Staff said the ZBA could consider the change at its next available meeting and return the revised text to the committee for final recommendation to the county board.

What happens next: the ZBA will be asked to incorporate the NFPA 855‑based provisions and hold public review. After ZBA deliberation and any further edits, the committee will receive the revised ordinance language for final recommendation to the full Champaign County Board.

Citation note: the committee discussion repeatedly referenced NFPA 855 and recommended aligning the county ordinance to that standard. The committee also discussed an operational requirement that all points in a BESS be within 100 feet of an access drive for emergency response; that language was included in staff recommendations.