Planning agency refers six‑month extension for Salem battery‑storage moratorium for further review

The agency reviewed a request from the Town of Salem to extend a moratorium on battery‑storage projects by six months. Staff noted that the town has had one prior extension and members observed that moratoria commonly run up to a year and that the sufficiency of studies underpinning the moratorium was unclear.

Board members voted to refer the extension back for review and study; one member said a six‑month extension was acceptable while another urged clarity on what issues would be studied before any further extensions. The motion to return the measure for further review was seconded and carried with no recorded opposition.

The agency's action was a referral for local comment and technical review; it did not change the town's moratorium status or set specific study requirements beyond the request to examine the underlying issues.