A proposed 200-megawatt lithium-ion battery storage facility at the northwest corner of Birmingham Road and Ruth Ewing Road in Liberty, Missouri, has residents putting signs in their yards and, in at least one case, planning to move altogether. The facility would run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for 25 years or more, and it would sit next to Tapp Farms, a 149-lot subdivision still under active construction.
Liberty South Reliability Project LLC and GridStor have applied for a special use permit to build the facility, according to KSHB 41 Kansas City. Tell Pryor, who has lived in the area for five years, said the facility does not need to be in the area, and the proposal is part of what is influencing his decision to move. Judy Williams, a 10-year resident, said the project does not fit the character of the residential neighborhood and told the station she is considering moving because of it.
Planning Staff Side With Residents
Liberty planning staff have recommended denial of the application, according to the station's report. In a written recommendation, staff found that the proposal is inconsistent with the comprehensive plan's vision for neighborhood preservation, and that the proposed use may adversely affect the public health, safety, comfort, or general welfare of the surrounding community.
Two neighbors put up signs against the project in their front yards in March, and residents have organized an online petition raising concerns about environmental risks, potential creek runoff, construction noise, and safety hazards tied to roughly 63 lithium batteries and a facility proposed to operate around the clock near homes. The Tapp Farms subdivision, a 90-acre development off Birmingham Road, is listed by the City of Liberty as under construction.
What GridStor and Its Application Say
Per application documents cited by the station, the project aims to increase electric-system reliability and capacity by storing excess grid electricity and supplying it back during high-demand periods. The documents also state that new capacity resources are needed to keep electricity reliable and affordable for current and future customers, and that operational noise levels will be within acceptable limits consistent with other residential areas in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
GridStor said it looks forward to speaking about the project during upcoming public hearings, the station reported. Construction is expected to take about one year if the project is approved. GridStor, founded in 2022 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is capitalized by a fund managed by Goldman Sachs Asset Management, according to Battery-Tech.net. The company recently completed the 220-megawatt Hidden Lakes Reliability Project in Galveston County, Texas, in late 2025, per Energy Storage News.
Fire Safety Standards Under Scrutiny
Battery storage opposition in Liberty echoes pushback seen elsewhere in the Midwest, including an Eastern Oklahoma project GridStor acquired in early 2025, where residents voiced safety fears following major battery fire incidents like the one at California's Moss Landing plant, according to reporting from Investigate Midwest. Battery-storage fire safety remains a subject of scrutiny.
The pressure to build more battery storage continues nationwide. Regionally, electric utility Evergy is part of the service-reliability discussion in its Missouri Metro footprint.
What Happens Next
Public comment on the proposal will be taken at the city's Planning and Zoning Commission meeting at 7 p.m. next Tuesday at Liberty City Hall. Residents will have another opportunity to comment when the proposal is expected to go before the Liberty City Council on August 24. The City of Liberty's residential-projects page lists several residential projects.
