BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Union County commissioners unanimously approved a Florida Power & Light application to add a battery energy storage system to the company’s existing solar facility southeast of Lake Butler.
The project could potentially double the ad valorem tax revenue FPL currently pays on the 74.5-megawatt solar site that’s been operating since December 2020.
“In 2024 alone, we paid $287,000 to the county,” said Caleb Goertzen, an associate project manager with FPL. “This battery energy storage system would maximize the use of the property, and also it’s the most cost-effective solution in making the grid more reliable and increasing safety output for our customers.”
Construction planned for 2026
The project is located south of State Road 100 and west of County Road 237. If all goes to plan, Goertzen said construction would begin in August 2026 with an 11-month construction window, putting the system in service by July 2027.
The battery storage system would sit on a three-to-five-acre pad surrounded by fencing and include battery containers and inverters similar to those used on solar sites to convert DC energy to AC energy.
FPL’s design exceeds minimum setback requirements, with a 100-foot setback from property lines compared to the 40-foot standard and maintains a 35-foot setback from all wetland vegetation. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection approved the project’s environmental resource permit in late November.
20-year lifespan, remote monitoring
The batteries are assembled in multiple levels, starting with individual battery cells that make up battery modules, which go into racks, and then multiple racks into containers. Each container has advanced technology to ensure the modules and cells operate within their functional limits. The batteries themselves have an expected lifespan of 20 years.
“We’re a leader in this industry with one of the largest fleets of battery energy storage systems in the nation,” Goertzen said. “We didn’t just start this yesterday.”
FPL started with pilot projects in 2018 and developed the Manatee battery energy storage system in 2021, which was one of the largest in the world at the time. The company has since developed around a gigawatt of utility-scale battery systems and currently has another gigawatt under construction.
The batteries are monitored 24/7 by FPL’s renewable operations control center, which can remotely shut off batteries and contact fire departments if issues arise.
Traffic, safety concerns addressed
Chairman Channing Dobbs raised concerns about traffic on County Road 237, the access point for the facility.
“I know we’ve had some calls and some concerns with the solar we already have there, people using the county road coming in,” Dobbs said.
Dobbs asked Goertzen if the utility could change its access to the facility from the county grade to State Road 100.
However, Clerk of Courts Kellie Hendricks Rhoades, who lives on County Road 237, said she’d rather FPL continue using the existing entrance.
“I would rather them access where they already are. We already have traffic concerns with folks coming onto 237 off of 100,” Rhoades said. “As a citizen, I’ve had no complaints. I’ve seen no issues. I see cars there a lot, so I know that they’re working, but it’s not causing a traffic problem.”
Commissioner Donna Jackson said she’s received concerns from area residents about the shoulder at FPL’s access on County Road 237 becoming degraded.
“FPL has assured me that they will look into it and will do whatever is necessary,” Jackson said. “I would like to work with them on strengthening that access road, maybe even trying to pave a little bit of it or something up to the shoulder just simply so that we’re not creating a traffic situation.”
Goertzen explained that recent traffic was from contractors doing remediation work on connectors between solar panels, work that’s been completed for about a month.
“With these sites, we only have a single engineer, and most of the time, they’re working remotely. So, there should be very limited traffic when it comes to both the solar and the battery energy storage system,” he said.
The project manager added that during construction, FPL will repair any road damage.
Fire safety protocols in place
Commissioner Mac Johns asked about training for the county’s fire and EMS departments.
“We’re a small county, which means a small fire department, a small rescue department,” he told Goertzen. “You said you were going to help with the training. I’m sure these guys don’t know how to put out battery fires of that magnitude. Are you going to assist with training and even financially assist with that training?”
“For sure, yes,” Goertzen responded. “We will definitely be taking on all of that.”
He explained that with battery fires, the priority is maintaining a perimeter rather than putting water directly on the batteries.
“The only thing that we would ask the fire department to do is to maintain a perimeter, just making sure that the fire doesn’t spread onto somebody else’s property,” Goertzen said.
Fire and Emergency Medical Services Director Brent Allen said county officials had their first meeting with FPL on the training earlier that day.
“Myself, Chief Hamlin and Emergency Management, we all met today in my office to start discussing training and what they’re proposing to do,” he said.
Goertzen said each battery container includes advanced smoke and gas detection systems, thermal management systems, and battery management systems designed to ensure that in the rare event of a problem, it would be contained within the battery.
