Mesa wants to get ahead of an emerging technology that stores electrical energy in rechargeable batteries for later use with regulations to mitigate potential health, safety and environmental impacts.

Staff last week presented to City Council a draft ordinance expected to come back in December for adoption.

Battery energy storage systems, or BESS, provide stability to the grid during peak demand periods, outages or emergencies and are currently not defined in Mesa’s zoning code.

“BESS and BESS facilities are an emerging and increasingly prominent land use,” Planning Director Mary Kopaskie-Brown told the council.

“They have a unique public health and safety consideration that can include but aren’t limited to fire and explosion risks, electric shock risks, environmental impacts if impr

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