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Cherokee County supervisors in Iowa reversed a moratorium on battery storage, clearing a path for a proposed solar-and-battery project developed with Nomad Infrastructure. The Smith family estimates the project would involve more than $80 million in investment; permits and construction plans remain pending.
Cherokee County, Iowa, has reversed a moratorium on battery storage, opening a path for a proposed solar-and-battery installation on land owned by the Smith family. The decision followed debate over battery-fire risks and the project’s potential economic benefits, but the developers still need required permissions before construction can proceed.
The Smiths presented their proposal to build on their land in partnership with Nomad Infrastructure, an Indiana-based energy developer with experience in solar and battery projects. Thomas Smith, one of the brothers, works for the company as an engineer. Mark Smith said the local rural electric cooperative had approved transmitting the project’s generation over its lines to the regional grid operated by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator.
County supervisor Jordan Bellefy, a banker, argued that the project could bring investment and tax revenue. He estimated that the installation would involve more than $80 million in investment and generate $60,000 to $80,000 in annual county tax revenue. Those figures are estimates, not confirmed proceeds, and depend on the project going ahead.
The zoning board initially proposed broad setbacks that would restrict where battery installations could be built. Bellefy argued that those limits could make projects less viable and reduce potential tax receipts. After safety workshops and community discussions, county supervisors reversed the moratorium. The Smiths hope to turn the parcel over to grass in spring and begin installing solar panels and batteries the following fall, once they obtain the necessary approvals.
A Path for Rural Energy Projects
The decision shows how a local government can move from a broad pause on a new technology to considering a specific project, while leaving safety and land-use questions part of the process. For the Smith family, the reversal restores a chance to develop their property. For Cherokee County, it creates the possibility of new tax revenue and a large private investment, although both remain dependent on approvals and construction.
The project also illustrates a tension facing rural communities: land is a central asset for farming, while energy developers are seeking sites for grid infrastructure. Bellefy framed battery development as one way for a county with limited prospects for large urban-style projects to attract investment without abandoning its agricultural identity. That is his argument for the proposal, not a guarantee that the project will deliver the projected economic returns.
The regional grid context adds to the interest. The source report describes the MISO system as having high levels of wind and solar generation, with battery projects beginning to spread, while electricity demand is rising amid data-center expansion. Storage can supply power when it is needed, but the source does not provide a projected output, operating schedule or expected effect on local power prices for the Cherokee County proposal.
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From Moratorium to Safety Workshops
Battery-fire concerns were central to the debate. Lithium-ion cells can enter a chain reaction after overheating, producing fires that are difficult to extinguish. The source report cites the Vistra battery facility in Moss Landing, California, where a major fire led to an evacuation in early 2025; it also reports a later fire among battery packs left at the damaged site. Such incidents help explain why supervisors and nearby residents sought information about the technology.
According to the report, energy-safety expert Seaberg held a battery-fundamentals workshop for the county board in February and returned for its May meeting. Seaberg discussed changes in industry safety standards and said current grid batteries commonly use lithium-iron-phosphate chemistry, which is considered safer than some other lithium-ion chemistries. The report also says modern systems use safety codes that were not in place when the original Moss Landing facility was installed and modular containers intended to limit fire spread.
Bellefy said the local fire chief addressed concerns circulating in the community. Questions raised at workshops included how smoke from a battery fire might affect a nearby hog operation and whether local emergency responders had suitable equipment. The source does not report a detailed, project-specific emergency plan or independent assessment of local response capacity.
“Land in Iowa is our No. 1 asset. It’s a row-crop state, cow-calf operations — it’s what we do.”
— Cherokee County supervisor Jordan Bellefy
Permits, Safety and Returns Remain Open
The reversal of the moratorium does not mean the proposed facility is fully approved or guaranteed to be built. The source report says the Smiths still need necessary permissions, but does not specify every permit, the review schedule or whether any additional county conditions will apply.
The projected $60,000 to $80,000 in annual tax revenue is Bellefy’s estimate; the report does not provide an independent fiscal analysis. It also does not give the installation’s planned battery capacity, exact footprint, final design or construction cost. The timing described by the family is a hope, not a confirmed construction schedule.
Some safety information was presented at workshops, but the report does not establish how local emergency services would respond to a fire at this specific site, what equipment they have or what site-level safeguards will be required. Those details remain relevant as the proposal moves through approvals.
The Project’s Next Approval Steps
The Smiths say they hope to prepare the parcel for grass in spring and begin installing the solar-and-battery project the following fall. Those plans are conditional on obtaining the required permissions. The next concrete milestones are the remaining approvals and the release of project-specific details, including design, safety measures and construction timing.
County residents and officials will be able to judge the proposal more fully as those details emerge. Until then, the county’s decision removes the moratorium as a barrier but does not settle the project’s final cost, schedule, safety arrangements or expected financial return.
Key Questions
What did Cherokee County decide?
County supervisors reversed a moratorium on battery storage, allowing battery projects to be considered rather than barred under the pause.
Who is proposing the project?
The Smith family is working with Indiana-based Nomad Infrastructure on a proposed solar-and-battery installation on family land.
How much could the project bring to the county?
Jordan Bellefy estimated that it could generate $60,000 to $80,000 in annual county tax revenue. That is a projection, not a confirmed payment.
Has construction been approved?
Not fully. The moratorium has been reversed, but the Smiths still need necessary permissions before the project can proceed.
What battery-safety concerns were raised?
Residents and officials discussed difficult-to-extinguish battery fires, possible effects of smoke on nearby agriculture and whether local responders have appropriate equipment. The report does not provide a final, project-specific emergency plan.
Source: rss
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