Sedgwick County considers temporary moratorium on large battery storage projects

Sedgwick County commissioners on March 11 proposed a temporary pause on permitting for large battery energy storage systems (BESS) to give planning staff time to craft zoning and safety policies.

Chair said the proposal would “put a stay on this, for a time,” describing a suggested one-year interim development control while staff completes analysis. Planning staff cautioned they are already stretched by data-center and solar reviews and said a moratorium would provide a runway to complete BESS-specific work.

A planning official described the proposed threshold for when the moratorium would apply: projects where energy storage is the primary use of the property or where capacity exceeds 600 kilowatt-hours. The planning presentation noted that batteries were referenced in prior solar policy but that the county’s code has little that directly governs large commercial battery storage.

Several commissioners questioned the one-year timeline. One commissioner said a year “seems like a long time” and suggested starting with six or nine months to keep staff focused and allow an extension if necessary. Scott, speaking for planning staff, said the department would prefer not to immediately take the full allotted time and could return to the commission sooner if work is completed, but that current workloads mean staff cannot guarantee a shorter timeline now.

The discussion framed the moratorium as a temporary pause — not a permanent prohibition — intended to avoid ad hoc siting decisions while the county develops comprehensive rules. The commission is scheduled to consider the interim control and related zoning language at its Wednesday meeting, when staff will present more background and a draft timeframe.