Transcript

Streator council mulls over moratorium on battery storage · Illinois Valley - Shaw Local

0:05
Streator Council mulls over moratorium on battery storage Written by Michael Urbanek.
0:12
This article is being read by an automated voice, brought to you
0:15
by Everlet. The Streeter city Council is seeking a six-month moratorium on
0:21
battery storage systems without city limits on the recommendation of city staff.
0:26
The moratorium, according to City Manager Yates McLaughlin, would give city’s staff
0:31
the time to gather information to create ordinances for permit processing, Fire
0:35
code ordinances, and have a regulatory structure in place. McLaughlin said there
0:41
have been multiple requests through the city's special use permitting process to
0:45
include bat battery storage on sites like Solar Farms. Fire Chief Brian
0:50
Park said, several communities in the surrounding area have had issues with
0:54
battery storage. One such community is Morris, where a warehouse full of
0:59
lithium batteries caught fire and covered portions of the town with black
1:03
smoke. We have not had that problem in Streeter, thankfully, which is
1:08
why we're talking about this today, Park said. If something were to
1:12
come in, we would prepare accordingly for whatever was installed in town.
1:16
The moratorium will be up for approval at the next city council
1:20
meeting on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.