HomeMy WebLinkAboutNicola_Robinson_Margarette, please would you distribute this document to the planning commission_20220720.Attachmentpdf
Planning Commission Members, thank you for this opportunity to speak to you regarding the overview,
and brief summary about BESS in general, that the Renton City staff presented to you on July 6th.
I was surprised and concerned when a commission member participating on zoom, equated the risks
associated with an electric vehicle parked in a driveway, to be comparable and no different than the
risks associated with ‘Grid Sized, Tesla Magapack’ installations.
The Megapack Li‐ion battery packs installation proposed for the BESS in Renton, covers 9.3 acres.
The whole facility would cover over 16 acres.
In order to get an idea about how large this is, you can think about the 20‐yard line on an American
football field, and consider that the other 80 yards are about the size of an acre of land. (80% of the
field)
Keeping this in mind, that would calculate 9.3 acres close to 7.5 FULL sized football fields, which strongly
suggest the risks are not the same?
I have included before this text, some images of an individual shipping container sized unit, and it’s
dimensions.
I have also included the image of the proposed installation from the Pre‐application for the Bufflehead
Battery Energy Storage System here in Renton, 50’ from our community, and gardens where children
play. Please note that this is a community built in 1943, and the homes are on average 800 – 1200 sq ft.
Please also note, and detailed in other communications to you from this community, that this parcel is
surrounded by steep slopes which are a slide hazard, zone 1 sole source aquifer, two streams, a wetland,
woodland and wild‐life corridor, zoned LDSF, and designated Resource Conservation. It is also across the
road from the Cedar River, and the River View Park.
The Megapack thermal management system is located at the top of each unit.[14] It uses coolant fluid,
made of an equal‐parts mixture of ethylene glycol and water, to keep the battery at operating
temperature.[14]
Each Megapack weighs approximately 51,000 pounds (23,000 kg) and the enclosure is built to the same
size as a shipping container and includes twistlock fittings to allow for easier handling.
The product is a container‐size system with several cabinets filled with battery modules:
According to the document, a Tesla Megapack consists of long 23′‐5″ (7.14m) x 5′‐3″ (1.60m) battery
system, which the company mostly installs back to back with another unit:
A widely publicized car battery that burst into flames, took 25,000 gallons of water to subdue, battery
fires are very hard to control.
These installations should be in remote locations, because of the well publicized incidents of thermal
runaway, overheating, fires, toxic gasses, and pollution.
Eventually it may be necessary for Renton to consider this as a viable non‐carbon producing energy
storage system, but not until they are thoroughly tested, researched, and regulations are in place.
Renton, at the present time has access to more energy than it needs.
Other jurisdictions, such as Bellevue, were predicted by PSE in its EIS report of 2014 to anticipate energy
outages and shortfalls in North Bellevue.
I am still asking the question why other cities, such as Bellevue are not taking steps to overcome this
shortfall?
Perhaps, we in this modest neighborhood are a part of those STEPS Bellevue is taking?
Low income communities, historically have been taken advantage of, and run rough shod over to fulfill
the goals of powerful companies and institutions, regardless of how it impacts those communities.
This kind of installation should be in remote locations, and I also strongly suggest a pause in
development in Washington State, so that this technology can be properly studied and regulated.
Thank you.
Nicola Robinson