Whately Planning Board Advances Battery Storage Bylaw Toward June Town Meeting

WHATELY — April 7, 2026 — Whately Planning Board opens public hearing on a new battery energy storage system zoning bylaw, continuing the proceeding to April 28. Board Chair Branch told attendees Tuesday that the town currently has no regulatory authority over battery storage projects and that the proposed bylaw, years in the making, must reach the June 2 town meeting to meet a state Climate Act deadline of May 31, 2026. The draft defines three tiers of storage capacity — up to 250 kilowatt hours, up to 10 megawatt hours, and above — with progressively stricter permitting requirements at each level. The board is weighing a uniform 300-foot setback from private wells and agricultural water supplies to patch a gap in the February 25 draft, and Branch signaled he may upgrade tier two and tier three installations in commercial and industrial zones to require site plan or special permit review. The town's fire chief endorsed the bylaw's reliance on national performance standards over technology-specific language, calling it a more durable framework as battery chemistry continues to evolve.