Kerr County leaders are not pretending to be battery experts, and on Monday, they made that official.
County commissioners voted to bring in an outside battery‑storage safety specialist at $250 an hour and set a ceiling of $25,000 for the work as a wave of large energy projects eyes the Hill Country. The move comes after weeks of pointed questions from residents and first responders about proposed utility‑scale battery installations within a short drive of San Antonio. Officials openly acknowledged that county staff do not have the technical chops to dissect complex fire‑safety plans, so they chose to pay for someone who does.
The review will focus on several high‑profile projects, including two proposed facilities near Comfort that together could reach roughly 350 megawatts, plus a separate approximately 120‑megawatt project in the Mountain Home area whose developers recently pulled back their requests for code variances, according to MySA. Commissioners signed off on hiring a consultant to dig into fire‑safety and permitting documents, a step that report notes could ultimately cost the county up to $25,000.
Why officials are worried
Lithium‑ion battery fires are not your typical trash‑can flare‑up. They can burn hot, stubbornly reignite after appearing to be out, and release hazardous gases that complicate firefighting, cleanup, and air monitoring.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has published guidance warning that incidents involving battery energy storage systems "have raised legitimate safety concerns" and urging local governments to develop solid siting rules and incident‑response plans tailored to this technology, according to EPA.
Lessons from other fires
Local skepticism has also been shaped by what has happened elsewhere. A widely watched fire at the Moss Landing battery facility in California led to evacuations and days‑long flare‑ups, the kind of drawn‑out response that nearby Hill Country fire departments say they want to be prepared for.
Researchers later documented battery‑related contaminants turning up in nearby wetlands, complicating environmental and public‑health questions after the incident, according to Scientific Reports. Opponents and cautious officials in Kerr County routinely cite those findings as a reminder that the real work can start after the flames are out.
Supporters point to grid benefits
Developers and many energy analysts argue that, risks aside, battery energy storage is rapidly becoming a backbone technology for Texas.
They point out that large batteries can smooth out supply from wind and solar, help keep the lights on during peak demand, and backstop critical services such as hospitals and water systems during outages. The Texas Comptroller's 2024 fiscal note details storage's role in economic development and grid reliability, while ERCOT's capacity reports and industry analyses show utility‑scale battery projects growing quickly year over year across the state, a trend developers say is key to keeping electricity both reliable and affordable, according to the Texas Comptroller and ERCOT.
Local response and next steps
The outside consultant will be tasked with combing through dense technical attachments, fire‑suppression strategies and any variance records, then recommending whether permitting tweaks or local code changes are in order. Monday's vote followed a Jan. 5 workshop that zeroed in on fire risk and possible regulatory gaps in how these projects are reviewed.
Kerr County's public‑meeting calendar and the Hill Country Energy Sub‑Regional Planning Commission's outreach schedule both show more briefings and town‑hall‑style sessions on the horizon as officials sort through their options, per Kerr County and HCESRPC. Residents who have been packing recent meetings are expected to keep showing up, clipboards and questions in hand.
Legal and regulatory angle
County leaders are also wrestling with a familiar Texas problem. Local governments often have limited authority over energy infrastructure, even as state‑level permitting and grid‑connection processes roll forward. Some officials say that gap is a major reason they are turning to outside technical reviewers and exploring possible ordinance updates.
That tension, along with the withdrawn variance requests in the Mountain Home case and the broader legislative backdrop, is reflected in local reporting and in legislative materials compiled by the Texas Legislative Reference Library and MySA.
For now, commissioners say the expert review will guide any decisions on permits, fees or changes to local codes. Residents and developers alike will be watching future court meetings and HCESRPC briefings closely. County staff are expected to return in the coming weeks with recommendations and possible draft language for what could become Kerr County's playbook for handling big battery projects.
