What is a BESS?
A Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is a facility filled with semi-trailer sized lithium-ion batteries on concrete pads, often by the hundreds. They store electricity and release it later to support the grid when needed. 👉 Learn more about what BESS are →
What is the concern with BESS near homes?
Developers admit this is a new technology, but they won’t admit this is a dangerous technology with much work and testing to be done. Documented risks include:
- Extreme Fire Hazard
- Toxic Environmental Contamination
- Increased Risk of Health Issues
- Light and Noise Pollution
- Depreciating Property Values
- Decreased Property Tax Revenue
- Risk of Being Uninsurable
- Target for Cyber & Terrorist Attacks
- Decommissioning Issues
Do BESS catch fire often?
Yes — 150+ documented BESS fires have occurred worldwide, with incidents increasing as more facilities are rushed into service. Fires are not “rare outliers” but a recurring risk for this technology. Think about the ban on battery packs on airplanes and electric cars catching fire – those same batteries are packed into giant shipping containers to create a BESS. 👉 Read about BESS fire incidents as recent at 10/1/2025 →
October 1, 2025 – Peoria, AZ BESS Fire
Why does a BESS catch fire?
The main cause is thermal runaway: one overheated or failing battery cell spreads heat to others, creating a chain reaction. However, recent incidents have been happening at an alarming rate due to poor design, rushed construction, and operational errors. 👉 Learn about system-level defects →
Are only old BESS catching fire?
No. Many of the worst incidents — including Escondido, CA (2024) and Moss Landing, CA (2022) — involved newly built facilities. In fact, defects are rising as projects are built faster to chase subsidies. 👉 Read about recent BESS fires →
Can a BESS be shut down remotely if there is an issue?
No. Once a battery becomes unstable, it cannot be safely shut down or discharged. Lithium-ion batteries store energy whether you want them to or not. In the 2024 Escondido, CA fire, the site has remained toxic and unstable for over a year because damaged batteries could not be safely neutralized. 👉 Read about BESS fire response →
Do we even need BESS in Michigan?
No. Michigan’s official goal is 2.5 GW of storage by 2030, but developers already propose 17 GW — 700% over the requirement. The MPSC confirmed in August 2025 that Michigan has enough power capacity through 2030 without these projects. 👉 Read about BESS oversaturation →
How big is the proposed Oshtemo BESS?
The NewEdge Power proposal was explained to the Oshtemo Township Planning Commission on August 14, 2025 to be a 5 acre, 200 MW+ facility. Oshtemo officials have not yet released details of the application. 👉 Follow the Oshtemo BESS updates →
But Won’t a Nearby BESS lower my electricity bill?
There’s no evidence consumers have ever seen lower bills from utility-scale BESS in the 10 years they’ve been around. Utilities and developers get the financial benefits (tax credits, avoided costs), while customers still pay the costs through their utility rates. 👉 Read more about BESS economics →
What happens when a BESS catches fire?
BESS fires cannot be extinguished — they can only be controlled from spreading. Firefighters must let units burn themselves out over days, releasing toxic gases and forcing large evacuations and shelter in place order for several days in a 1.5+ mile radius. 👉 Read about BESS firefighting challenges →
What happens to the land around a BESS?
Property values usually drop near large energy facilities and good luck selling a home in the 1.5 mile high risk zone around it. With BESS there are added concerns: risk of toxic runoff after fires, years of construction noise, and the ongoing hum of hundreds of industrial air conditioners cooling the batteries. These impacts make nearby homes less desirable, hurting families financially as well as environmentally. 👉 Read more about land impacts of BESS →
Why would a landowner want a BESS on their land?
Because of money. Developers often offer very high lease payments to secure sites, especially near substations. In the case of the Oshtemo project, the landowner doesn’t live nearby — so they don’t have to deal with the noise, safety risks, or angry neighbors. For them, it can look like easy income. 👉 Read more about developer incentives →
Why should landowners take caution before signing a BESS lease?
Most BESS developers — including startups like NewEdge Power — are new companies with few assets. When a fire, contamination, or bankruptcy happens, history shows the developer can walk away, leaving the landowner responsible for cleanup or lawsuits. Once built, the land may essentially become a brownfield site, with long-term environmental and financial liabilities. What looks like a good deal upfront can turn into years of trouble. 👉 Read about landowner risks →
Is this the same as the BESS in the news for Comstock?
Yes — it’s the same type of project. In Comstock, the BESS is being built next to a school, sparking intense backlash. In Oshtemo, the proposed site would put hundreds of families at risk instead. Both projects highlight the dangers of siting these facilities near people. Bangor, Decatur and many other local communities are facing this same problem. 👉 Read about the Comstock case →
Why are so many of these being installed in Michigan?
Developers are being contracted by utilities to work as quickly as possible to get ordinances cleared up to break ground on BESS before the end of 2025 to take advantage of up to 50% stacked tax credits and 80% loan guarantees all courtesy of tax payers. To put the dangerous speed of growth into perspective, in 2024 there were only 178 battery storage projects built in the US now we have 838 as of October 1, 2025! 👉 Read about the danger of rushed construction →
Why doesn’t the Oshtemo Township Board just say no?
They can but under Michigan Public Act 233 of 2023, townships and cities cannot block BESS projects if they meet state minimum rules. The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) has the final say. However, the only way Oshtemo can keep a seat at the table is to adopt a CREO (Compatible Renewable Energy Ordinance) that mirrors state rules — without it, the MPSC takes full control. 👉 Learn what a CREO is →
Ok, this is the last thing I want my family to leave near – What can I do as a resident?
Know that you are not alone, there is a growing number of Oshtemo Residents speaking out – there is strength in numbers.
- Stay informed through our Oshtemo Residents Awareness site.
- Contact the MPSC with comments — they have final authority under state law (PA 233 of 2023).
- Contact Your Local Legislators.
- Contact the Land Owners Leasing their Land to State Utilities.
- Urge the Michigan Senate Committee to review HB ## and send it to vote already.
- Speak at Oshtemo Township Meetings and urge the township to adopt a CREO (Compatible Renewable Energy Ordinance) so we don’t lose all local say.
How safe is “close enough” to a utility-scale BESS site?
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requires evacuation distances of 0.5 miles (2,640 feet) for many hazardous chemical spills because of toxic gas release risks. By comparison, Michigan’s BESS siting rules under PA 233 of 2023 allow these massive lithium-ion battery sites to be placed just 300 feet from homes. If federal law says a tanker truck spill requires half a mile of clearance, why are families only given 300 feet of protection from a BESS that can burn longer, hotter, and more toxically? 👉 Learn more about hazardous spill regulations →
The list of BESS Incidents Continues to Grow in 2025
Check out the most recent incident from October 1, 2025 in Arizona, 3 fire departments worked for 8 hours, not to put the fire out (because it cannot be extinguished, its must burn out) instead the just keep the area around it wet and hope the heat does not ignite the others around it. This is a tiny BESS facility, newer Tesla MegaPack like that proposed for Oshtemo but this Arizona one is 1/9th the size of the one being proposed for Oshtemo:
October 1, 2025 Arizona Bess Fire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o1XLurG1fE ,https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/massive-fire-breaks-out-peoria-battery-storage-facility
And September 24, 2025’s BESS Fire in Boulder City, Nevada
Tesla battery fire at Boulder City solar facility burns for hours, prompts multi-agency response: https://www.ktnv.com/news/fire-breaks-out-at-townsite-solar-in-boulder-city
Towns and States Are Starting to Say NO to BESS
Towns across the US are watching the growing number of incidents with BESS, they are seeing the devastation, the ground water poisoning and the millions spent by towns for cleanup. When things go awry residents and townships have to clean things up as developers are long gone and millions are wasted in legal fees trying to pin down a responsible party.
California and Arizona have placed holds on projects – why are they still being approved by Michigan?
What Has Been Done in Michigan to Fight BESS?
- Other communities like Comstock have spoken out at their community meetings.
- Schools have pushed back on developers. But developers just try and throw large amounts of money at other local landowners to find a new site near the power substation.
- Large lawsuit with 70 communities and organizations trying to get the power back to local administrations – https://michigantownships.org/renewable-energy-siting-and-permitting/The Michigan House introduced House Bills 4027 and 4028 in 2025 to give power back to local governments by rolling back provisions of PA 233 that shifted siting authority to the MPSC. These bills passed the House on a party-line vote (58–48) but face uncertainty in the Senate. I spoke with Rep. Greg Alexander that introduced the bill, the bill was passed off to committee review in the Senate, which typically means it will expire in a year without vote.
- the Senate Committee Must Be Contacted ASAP