Those who urge a go-slow – or sometimes no-go – approach to renewable energy usually point to the familiar ebb and flow of sun, wind, and water. When you’ve got ’em, wonderful; when you don’t, the lights have an inconvenient way of going out. Fair enough. Those observations are accurate and not to be brushed aside.
But this is precisely why battery energy storage systems – BESS, as the industry calls them – have become essential for communities trying to build reliable, modern, renewable grids. The systems planned by La Plata Electric Association won’t eliminate natural gas or anyone’s preferred energy source. They’re one more practical step toward a cleaner, steadier, more affordable mix. These batteries reduce expensive peak loads, help prevent outages, ease stress on old transmission lines, and let us use more of the solar energy we already produce.
And never mind the retro mood in the White House or executive orders trying to tilt policy back toward fossil fuels. The energy trend line is clear: fossil fuel use continues to decline, coal is down to the single digits, and renewables continue to rise. That shift is driven by real-world demand. Developing nations still lack basic electricity, while massive new data centers – here and abroad – now consume enormous amounts of power to run the chips that acquire, sort, deliver, and even create digital information and currency. A modern grid has to be flexible and resilient enough to handle both extremes.
Some residents understandably worry about battery safety, especially after images from January’s Moss Landing fire in California. But Moss Landing relied on older technology and pre-2018 fire codes. Battery safety has advanced quickly. National labs report a 97% decline in BESS failure rates since 2018, thanks to modern fire testing, safer chemistries like lithium iron phosphate, and strict codes such as the International Fire Code and the National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA 855 standard.
Colorado’s largest jurisdictions – Denver, Arapahoe County, El Paso County, Adams County, and the City of Fort Collins – already regulate BESS under these codes. None relies on fixed property-line setbacks as a fire tool. They evaluate distance to occupied structures, precisely what the IFC requires and what fire experts recommend. If these systems can be sited safely in dense Denver neighborhoods, they can be sited safely here.
Rural counties also are adopting these standards. Pitkin County is building a clean-energy microgrid at the Aspen Airport Business Center, pairing a 5-MW solar array with a modern battery system to keep essential services operating during outages. It’s the kind of resilience project La Plata County will likely want in the coming years.
Against this backdrop, LPEA’s first project – the proposed Shenandoah Battery Project – is modest. It’s a 5-MW, 20-MWh battery system that uses two Tesla Megapack batteries. For scale: each is roughly shipping-container-sized – about 23–28 feet long, 5–8 feet wide, and 8–10 feet tall – about the length of a box truck and the height of a tall garage. The system could supply roughly 2,800 homes for up to 4 hours during peak demand or an outage. It would sit 650 feet from the nearest home and produce about 40 decibels at the fence line, the sound of a refrigerator.
Just as important: the Dec. 16 vote is not about approving Shenandoah. Commissioners are voting only on adopting general countywide rules. Every specific BESS project will still require full review, fire-safety analysis, and public input.
The main dispute is over proposed property-line setbacks. Those make sense for oil and gas rigs – which contain flammable, pressurized material – but they don’t translate to electrical equipment. Gas in its native state is dangerous. Electricity, properly managed, is not. Modern BESS units have no emissions, no exhaust, no risk of groundwater contamination when properly contained, and are engineered to prevent fire spread between enclosures.
Which raises the question: Why should BESS be treated more harshly than electrical substations, which contain energized equipment and do not use property-line setbacks?
Community concerns deserve respect. Residents want assurance that if the county allows something, it’s truly safe. That’s why adopting structure-based setbacks – the national norm – makes sense. They let fire professionals determine the appropriate safety radius.
We hope the commissioners amend the code on Dec. 16 so it aligns with national practice, protects the public, and allows LPEA to pursue projects that keep power affordable and reliable. If you believe in renewables – or simply in keeping the lights on during peak hours – batteries aren’t optional. They’re essential.
