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Draft Colden Chapter #101 Battery Energy Storage Systems Planning Board Revision #15 (dated 8/10/26) Town of Colden pursuant to the Town of Colden Comprehensive Plan and the Town of Colden Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan (AFPP). E. To define battery storage system size and use “tiers” which shall determine the type of permitting mechanism required in the Town of Colden, and the administrative procedure required for an application, application approval, and defining any conditions which shall apply to the approved application for a battery energy storage system in the Town. Section 101-2: Findings: The Town Board of the Town of Colden recognizes that Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are an emerging land use with characteristics that may influence the surrounding community, including potential effects on privacy, neighborhood character, and the predominantly rural, agricultural, and forested areas of the Town. The Board also acknowledges that BESS installations may offer benefits, such as increased tax revenue, the possibility of a “Payment in Lieu of Taxes” (PiLOT) agreement, and limited employment opportunities related to operations and maintenance. Section 101-3: Definitions The following definitions shall apply to this Chapter: ANSI: American National Standards Institute BATTERY(IES): A single cell or a group of cells connected together electrically in series, in parallel, or a combination of both, which can charge, discharge, and store energy electrochemically. For the purposes of this law, batteries utilized in consumer products are excluded from these requirements. BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: An electronic system that protects energy storage systems from operating outside their safe operating parameters and disconnects electrical power to the energy storage system or places it in a safe condition if potentially hazardous temperatures or other conditions are detected. BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM: One or more devices, assembled together, capable of storing energy in order to supply electrical energy at a future time, not to include a stand-alone 12-volt car battery charger or an electric vehicle charger. A battery energy storage system is classified as a Tier 1 or Tier 2 Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) as follows: A. Tier 1 Battery Energy Storage Systems have an aggregate energy capacity less than or equal to 600kWh and, if in a room or enclosed area, consist of only a single energy storage system technology. Generally, Tier 1 BESS would service a residential situation, or a small commercial land use and would be considered a private system for the benefit of the landowner or business owner. The aggregate energy capacity limit is a per parcel criteria. B. Tier 2 Battery Energy Storage Systems have an aggregate energy capacity greater than 600kWh or are comprised of more than one storage battery technology in a room or enclosed area. It is generally considered that the Tier 2 BESS are larger in scope, likely consume substantial power from the grid, and supply the grid with substantial energy during the battery discharge cycle. The aggregate energy capacity is on a per project basis. These systems would be considered as “grid-connected” Utility-Scale BESS and subject to additional permitting and project review. CELL: The basic electrochemical unit, characterized by an anode and a cathode, used to receive, store, and deliver electrical energy. COMMISSIONING: A systematic process that provides documented confirmation that a battery energy storage system functions according to the intended design criteria and complies with applicable code requirements. TOWN OF COLDEN – BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS 2