Terra-Gen

County updates planners on proposed BESS ordinance

San Diego County's Department of Development Services presented a proposed ordinance to regulate Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in unincorporated areas. The new rules aim to limit BESS facility locations, require stricter permitting, and ensure decommissioning funds, partly in response to public concerns linking them to data centers. The Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on the ordinance by mid-to-late 2027.