Oshtemo Township BESS Project: What We Know So Far
Oshtemo Township, Kalamazoo County, Michigan — A Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project is currently in planning for Oshtemo Township.
According to publicly filed county records, startup developer NewEdge Power signed a land lease agreement with Sable Farms, LLC, for property located on South Van Kal Street, across from the ITC power substation in the farm field.
- The lease was executed on December 19, 2023, and officially filed with the Kalamazoo County Clerk’s Office on February 1, 2024 (click to view the lease).
Developer Presentation
On August 14, 2025, three representatives from NewEdge Power appeared before the Oshtemo Township Planning Commission to introduce a proposed Battery Energy Storage System for Oshtemo Township. NewEdge employees Ms. Rachel Walker, the Director of Permitting, Mr. Steve Barna, the Chief Development Officer / Co-Founder, and Ms. Donna Marceau, the Senior Director of Real Estate stated during the meeting that the team did not yet have detailed project specifications, but speculated — based on their other developments — that the Oshtemo BESS would likely be utility-scale in size between 5 to 15 acres and store 100 to 300 megawatts in Tesla Superpack batteries the size of semi truck trailers.
The presentation described the project in positive terms, highlighting its “modern safety systems” and “renewable energy benefits.” According to meeting observers, the NewEdge team referred to a lot of bad stuff out there about BESS and then encouraged township officials to focus on more favorable research about BESS, referencing a paper from New York that they said presented the technology in a positive light.
However, questions were raised by several board members, and one member of the public spoke in strong opposition, citing health, safety, and evacuation concerns for the hundreds of families who live within the two to eight mile evacuation radius seen in other recent BESS fires around the US. According to public records, the leased parcel discussed during the meeting is located near that resident’s home
It remains unclear whether this meeting satisfied the public hearing requirement for a BESS project under Michigan’s Public Act 233 of 2023, which governs large-scale energy developments. It was not disclosed during the meeting that NewEdge Power had previously executed a land lease with Sable Farms, LLC nine months earlier.
Watch the August 14, 2025 BESS Presentation
Oshtemo Township BESS Location
South Van Kal Street, Oshtemo Township, across from the ITC power substation
Lack of Updates from Oshtemo Township's Boards
Since that August 2025 presentation, a memo on the project status was presented at the Oshtemo Township board meeting on 10/28/2025.
- Residents have expressed growing concern over the lack of transparency, particularly as other Michigan communities — including Comstock Township, Bangor, and Decatur — have faced public opposition to similar projects.
- The meeting minutes on August 14, 2025 listed NewEdge as an "applicant" however residents have been told there is no application on file with the township. Why meeting minutes were approved with this error was questioned and blamed on the meeting's scribe. *Meeting minutes were corrected at the Oshtemo Planning Department Meeting on 10/23/2025.
Statewide Context
Michigan’s new energy siting law (PA 233 of 2023) allows the MPSC to approve BESS projects even if local governments deny them, limiting township control. The state currently has over 17 gigawatts of BESS projects proposed — nearly 700% more than Michigan’s stated energy storage goal for 2030.
Communities across the state are calling for clearer safety standards, stronger siting setbacks, and greater transparency from both developers and local governments.
What Comes Next
Residents continue to request information about:
- The current status of the NewEdge Power lease and project application.
- Whether a Compatible Renewable Energy Ordinance (CREO) will be developed to preserve Oshtemo Townships township input.
- The potential safety measures and evacuation protocols being considered for nearby neighborhoods.
- We encourage anyone that lives in the 2 mile evacuation radius of Oshtemo's BESS on South VanKal Street to continue to attend township meetings.
This page will be updated as new information becomes available from township records, MPSC filings, or public statements.
-Last updated 10/31/2025 04:24