Duxbury Postpones Battery Storage Bylaw Over Zoning Scope Concerns
Key Points
- The proposed zoning bylaw for battery storage was put on hold for further study.
- The Moderator blocked a floor amendment to expand the bylaw's scope.
- Residents voiced fears regarding a lack of local control over future battery projects.
Article 18, which proposed a new zoning bylaw to regulate Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), was indefinitely postponed after officials determined the warrant article required further vetting. Select Board Vice Chair Amy McNab explained that the Planning Board needed more time to ensure the bylaw effectively protected the town's interests.
During the meeting, an attempt was made to amend the bylaw to make it town-wide, but Moderator Jim Hartford ruled the proposed amendment was outside the scope
of the original warrant article. Residents expressed concerns that without a local bylaw, the state might dictate the placement of these industrial-scale battery facilities within Duxbury.
Motion: To indefinitely postpone Article 18.
Vote: Passed 162-12-0