The bill, titled "Battery Energy Storage Fire Safety," introduces new regulations under Chapter 187 of the Utilities Code to enhance fire safety standards and emergency operations plans for battery energy storage facilities. It mandates that the state fire marshal adopt and periodically update fire safety standards based on established model codes, such as UL 9540A and NFPA 855. Battery operators and municipally owned utilities are required to ensure compliance with these standards at the time of interconnection and to contract with independent engineers for evaluations and inspections of their facilities. Additionally, municipalities and counties are restricted from enacting conflicting regulations, and any such ordinances would be deemed void.

Furthermore, the bill requires battery operators to develop site-specific emergency operations plans that address potential risks, emergency procedures, and communication protocols with first responders. These plans must be provided to local fire protection services before commercial operations commence. The legislation also emphasizes the importance of training local first responders on battery energy storage technology and incident response protocols. The provisions of this bill will apply to battery energy storage facilities approved for interconnection on or after January 1, 2027, and the act is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: ()