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Hold a noticed Public Hearing to consider amending interim Ordinance No. 2024-1852-U-E limiting new commercial battery energy storage systems within the unincorporated territory of the County of Solano (4/5 vote required); the proposed amendment is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to section 15060(c)(2), and is exempt under Sections 15061(b)(3), 15307, and 15308 of the CEQA Guidelines
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Published Notice Required? Yes _ X__ No ____
Public Hearing Required? Yes _ X__ No ____
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Department of Resource Management recommends that the Board of Supervisors:
1. Read the proposed ordinance by title only and waive further reading by majority vote;
2. Consider amending interim Ordinance No. 2024-1852-U-E limiting new commercial battery energy storage systems within the unincorporated territory of the County of Solano; and
3. Adopt Ordinance No. 2024-1852-U-E Amendment No. 1 (Attachment A) (4/5 vote required).
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
In June 2023, the County received a use permit application for a proposed BESS facility on land with an Exclusive Agriculture (A-40) zoning designation that, if approved, would be one of the largest BESS projects in the State. The County's current Zoning Regulations allow front-of-the-meter BESS in almost every zoning district as "Utility facilities or infrastructure, outside of right-of-way," without any specific standards in place to address the complexities and significant safety risks associated with these facilities. The Board therefore found that an interim ordinance prohibiting new commercial BESS facilities in the entire unincorporated area of Solano County was necessary to address the imminent threat to public health, safety, and welfare posed by permitting these facilities without specific standards in place.
At its December 5, 2023 meeting, the Board directed staff to prepare an urgency ordinance to temporarily prohibit approval of n...
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