The Municipality of Arran-Elderslie has denied a zoning by-law amendment for a potential battery storage facility.
At the July 14 council meeting, a public meeting was held concerning an application that was proposed to build a 400-megawatt, 1,600-megawatt-per-hour battery energy storage system or BESS, known as the Tara BESS, on lands located at Concession 4, in the former Arran Township.
The facility was pitched as a way to support the provincial electricity grid by "enhancing reliability and integrating renewable energy. However, the project site lies within a regulated floodplain that would require substantial alteration and a corresponding amendment to the Bruce County Official Plan to permit such use," according to a media release from Arran-Elderslie Council.
After a lengthy review by Bruce County, Arran-Elderslie and the local conservation authority, council deemed that the applicant "had not adequately demonstrated that the proposed development aligns with the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) 2024, or with the Bruce County Official Plan," according to the media release.
Concerns were also raised at the public meeting and during the review of the project regarding hazard areas, impacts on natural heritage, and other archaeological and cultural heritage requirements.
The application was made by NEOEN c/o MHBC Planning. The proposed facility was pitched as part of Ontario’s long-term energy procurement under the Independent Electricity System Operator’s LT1 program.
