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Log CM for AICP

Slide Presentation

Climate Change, Energy, and the Environment

Have You Met BESS?

Wednesday, May 27, 2026
2:30 PM - 3:15 PM CT
Location: Channel 2
CM: .75
Passport

    Virtual Moderator(s)

  • MA

    Mike Auerbach, AICP

    Senior Associate
    Carlisle/Wortman Associates, Inc.
    Ypsilanti, Michigan

    • Virtual Speaker(s)

  • Madeleine Krol

    Clean Energy Land Use Specialist
    University of Michigan Center for EmPowering Communities
    Ann Arbor, Michigan

Battery energy-storage systems (BESS) are rapidly transforming our energy landscape, yet many planners and communities are just beginning to navigate the planning and zoning implications. Leaning on the Michigan experience, this presentation introduces planning professionals to the foundational elements of BESS and their applications — from small-scale residential installations to large utility projects.

Presenters discuss Michigan’s experience in setting a statewide energy storage target, navigating evolving state siting laws, and adapting zoning ordinances accordingly. Topics include technology advances, localized impacts, land use considerations in diverse communities, and practical zoning approaches for integrating BESS into local ordinances.

Take away adaptable resources and best practices from the University of Michigan’s Planning and Zoning for Battery Energy Storage Systems guidebook to support planners and community education nationwide.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand battery energy-storage technology and its small- and large-scale applications.
  • Prepare zoning ordinance language to permit and regulate battery-energy storage systems according to your community's priorities.
  • Educate local policymakers and the public about battery energy-storage systems, their local impacts, and how they translate into land use considerations.