The Texan: Kerr County Officials Push for Stronger Regulation of Battery Storage Projects in Texas Hill Country

Key Points from the Article

• Commissioner Rich Paces (R-Pct. 2) is urging Texas regulators to impose stricter oversight of BESS facilities in the Texas Hill Country.
• Paces serves as President of the Hill Country Subregional Planning Commission (HCSPC), which was formed to address BESS regulation and placement in Kerr, Kendall, and Gillespie counties.
• Concerns include lithium-ion battery fires and thermal runaway, environmental impact, cybersecurity risks, and declining property values.
• According to Cleanview, there are currently 916 planned battery energy storage projects in the ERCOT region.
• The HCSPC sent a formal letter to the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) in May outlining these concerns.
• Paces cited the January 2025 Moss Landing, California battery fire — still being cleaned up over a year later — and noted cybersecurity risks tied to Chinese-manufactured BESS components.
• State Rep. Wes Virdell (R-Kerrville), a member of the planning commission, has filed legislation to keep BESS facilities farther from residential areas.