We sent an email to council :
Dear Mayor and Council,
I am writing regarding the recent announcement of the proposed utility-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) described as being located “near Duncan.”
The announcement and accompanying media release do not identify the proposed location. Because the announcement includes representatives from multiple governments and organizations, it is unclear whether the facility will be located within the City of Duncan, the Municipality of North Cowichan, the Cowichan Valley Regional District, or another nearby jurisdiction.
As a resident, I would appreciate greater transparency regarding this project and respectfully request answers to the following questions:
Location
What is the exact proposed location or legal property description?
Which local government has land use jurisdiction over the site?
Approvals
What municipal, regional, provincial or federal approvals are required?
Will there be public hearings, information sessions or opportunities for public input?
Has Council already been briefed or consulted regarding this project?
Battery Technology
What battery chemistry will be used (for example, Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) or another technology)?
What will be the storage capacity (MWh) and maximum power output (MW)?
What is the anticipated operational lifespan of the facility?
Fire and Public Safety
Has a fire risk assessment been completed?
What fire suppression systems will be installed?
What emergency response plans have been developed with the local fire department?
What evacuation procedures exist should a significant battery fire occur?
Have local emergency responders received, or will they receive, specialized training for battery energy storage incidents?
Noise
What are the expected operational noise levels during both daytime and nighttime operation?
Will independent noise studies be completed and made publicly available?
What setbacks will exist between the facility and nearby residences?
Environmental Considerations
Has an environmental assessment been completed?
How will stormwater, drainage and potential contamination be managed?
What measures are in place to protect nearby waterways, wildlife and environmentally sensitive areas?
End-of-Life Management
What is the expected replacement schedule for the battery modules?
Who will be responsible for decommissioning the facility?
Is there a funded decommissioning or reclamation plan?
How and where will batteries be recycled or disposed of at the end of their useful life?
Financial Information
What is the estimated total project cost?
What portion will be funded by BC Hydro, the Province, federal grants or local taxpayers?
Will this project have any impact on local property taxes or utility rates?
Community Benefits
What specific benefits will this facility provide to residents of the Cowichan Valley?
Will it improve local grid reliability or primarily serve the provincial transmission system?
How many permanent jobs will be created once construction is complete?
Transparency
Where can residents find the technical reports, safety studies, engineering assessments and project timeline?
Will these documents be made publicly available before approvals are granted?
Given the scale of this infrastructure project and the understandable public interest, I believe residents deserve clear information before the project proceeds. At present, the announcement appears to provide very little detail beyond the general statement that the facility will be located “near Duncan.”
Has Council received any briefings, confidential or otherwise, regarding the proposed Battery Energy Storage System prior to the public announcement?
I would appreciate any information Council can provide, or direction to the appropriate agency if these questions are more appropriately answered by BC Hydro or the Province.
Hopefully this is all public facing and not needing some FOIA - advise if so, and please forward to any department necessary for answers.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
(suggested rendering of a battery plant ^)
When the Province announced that BC Hydro would build a new utility-scale Battery Energy Storage System at the Vancouver Island Terminal Substation on Bell McKinnon Road in North Cowichan, many residents assumed their local government had been involved in the planning.
That assumption was wrong.
After contacting the Municipality of North Cowichan, we received a response directly from Mayor Rob Douglas stating:
“North Cowichan has not been involved in this project to date. I only became aware of it last Friday when I was invited to attend the announcement.”
That statement should give every resident pause.
This is a major piece of electrical infrastructure that will be located in North Cowichan, yet according to the Mayor, the municipality had no involvement in the project before the public announcement.
This isn’t about whether battery storage is good or bad. Reasonable people can disagree on the merits of large-scale energy storage.
The larger question is this: What role do local governments actually play when senior governments or Crown corporations decide to build significant infrastructure within their communities?
Residents often assume their elected council reviews projects, asks questions, represents community concerns and has some ability to influence outcomes.
Increasingly, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Instead, municipalities are frequently informed after major decisions have already been made.
The provincial news release announced that the Battery Energy Storage System will be located at the Vancouver Island Terminal Substation on Bell McKinnon Road in North Cowichan and describes the project as part of BC Hydro’s efforts to strengthen the provincial electricity grid.
However, the announcement provides relatively little information about issues many residents are likely to ask about, including all we asked above to council.
Whether this project ultimately proves beneficial or not, residents deserve clear answers before construction begins.
Yet another significant project appears to have moved forward with little or no involvement from the local government expected to represent the community where it will be built.
Fire, noise, evacuation, water consumption, end of battery life, etc. - possible problems never brough before council !?
That raises an important question for all of us:
If local councils aren’t being consulted before major provincial projects are announced, what role are they actually being allowed to play?
We see this in the un-redacted forestry program (we will post about later). Telling the province they have no infrastructure for more and more new builds. The province putting wet houses into their muni. and then making them pay for the ‘clean up’.
And all the bills from bill 44 - bill 47 ….
Angry: at crime, high-rise housing, new battery storage facilities, cell towers ? … Maybe take that out on your local MLA ….
Ted Olnyk, Manager of Community Relations, can be reached at Ted.Olnyk@bchydro.com
Team COAP
contact@coap.ca
This time I am literally speechless!
I've forwarded this to a local fire chief wondering if they are aware of these plans as they would have to upgrade their services a great deal should this facility light up!
My other thoughts were too negative to share and would promulgate fear.