Image Credit: Saur Energy International
Submitted by Marian Knight –
Lithium-ion batteries.
They power our phones, our laptops, our lawn equipment, and even some of our vehicles.
Soon they may provide backup power to our electrical grid.
After all, no one wants to experience rolling blackouts again at the very time when power is needed for heat or air conditioning.
That’s what they do in California.
And now lithium-ion batteries are coming to our state.
In the name of ‘Green Energy,’ Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) wants 5 billion watts of backup power for the grid to replace coal-fired plants being shut down.1 The most popular method of providing back up power among many Greenies is large lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage Systems, BESS for short.
What is a BESS? It is a large system of batteries that stores energy when usage is low and returns it to the grid during peak use. It does not create energy; it merely stores it. Think of it as a facility filled with rechargeable batteries.
Could a BESS be coming to your county?
The town of Vonore in Monroe County, TN has a 40 million watt BESS scheduled to open later this year.2
Residents in Jefferson County, TN are fighting a proposed multi-million watt BESS. It started at 250 million watts consisting of 6 million lithium-ion batteries contained in 200 storage containers to be built on agricultural land less than 5 miles from several schools.3 Its most recent site plan has ballooned to over 8 million batteries in 276 containers.
Lithium-ion batteries are a fairly new arrival on the energy scene. The dangers of long-term exposure to these batteries, especially when they catch on fire or explode is yet unknown.
The government would never intentionally allow anything bad to happen on our land, right?
But we have all seen pictures of electric vehicles on fire.
Developers tell us that the batteries and their containers are constantly being improved. They say that Underwriter Lab approval means nothing can go wrong. And manufacturers will tell you that they tried and tried to cause a thermal runaway (when one battery fails and catches others on fire – a domino effect) without success. They say that means these batteries are safe.
Tell that to Moss Landing (California), Victorian Big Battery (Australia), and Elkhorn (California). Those were the largest lithium-ion BESS facilities on Earth as of last fall.4 All of them had a fire, an overheating incident, or both.5 And just recently, there were fires at two BESS in Warwick, NY.6 According to news reports, the New York BESS were the most up-to-date version of the technology.7
How are BESS fires extinguished?
They can’t be. They just have to burn until they go out on their own. And the National Fire Protection Association will tell you that they may spontaneously re-ignite, so they must be monitored long after the initial flare up.8
Many firefighters have already experienced vehicle fires that burn on and on. A vehicle fire involves just one battery. Imagine thousands. Or millions.
There are suppression systems that can extinguish flames, but they don’t reduce the temperature of the batteries. Overheated batteries may explode if not cooled.9 Batteries that catch fire or explode can release dangerous toxins. But don’t worry, the government will tell you that the toxins are ‘within normal range.’10
If a BESS comes to your county, you should know that the back up power stored in BESS is for the TVA grid. The TVA decides where it goes. It is not guaranteed to host counties.
I like to flip a switch to have light as well as the next person. And I enjoy having heat in the winter. I am not in favor of hosting a BESS in our county but it may be forced upon us. As long as there is a war on fossil fuels, we could see BESS sprout up all over our beautiful landscape.
If your county has no zoning rules or no specific rules to deal with BESS, it’s time to put a moratorium on them while rules are developed. Rules need to provide maximum protection for residents and land.
This is new, constantly changing technology. It may be best to rely on older, ‘tried and true’ sources of energy while we wait to find out if this is the “clean energy” of the future or the next asbestos.
Sources:
1 TVA Annual Report FY2022, p. 46.
2 TVA Renewables Highlights Fiscal Year 2022, p. 2.
3 Marion, Steve. “Commission stiffens battery site regs.” The Standard Banner, 20 July, 2023.
4 https://www.saurenergy.com/solar-energy-news/the-top-5-largest-battery-energy-storage-systems-worldwide
6 https://bronx.news12.com/fire-at-battery-storage-facility-burns-off-combustible-material
7 https://hudsonvalley.news12.com/watch-live-update-on-fire-at-lithium-ion-battery-storage-facility-in-warwick
8 NFPA 855: Standard for the Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems, 2023 edition, pp. 40, 55, 93-94.
9 NFPA 855: Standard for the Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems, 2023 edition, p.53.10 https://hudsonvalley.news12.com/watch-live-update-on-fire-at-lithium-ion-battery-storage-facility-in-warwick
2 Responses
Maui and its residents are the most recent victims’ of Green Energy, their utility money meant to upgrade their system was spent on GREEN ENERGY GARBAGE.
The technology is too new and will be a waste of money. The down side of lithium battery’s are many. The up sides are few, Taxpayers will loose billions on this fiasco.
Better to have a few extra gas fired generating plants that can be fired up as needed.
What is the lifespan of a lithium battery? about two to three years in storage.
When a battery has been unused for 6 months, check the charge status and charge or dispose of the battery as appropriate. The typical estimated life of a Lithium-Ion battery is about two to three years or 300 to 500 charge cycles, whichever occurs first.