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Learn the actual facts, science, and truthful information behind BESS technology and the proposed Black & Gold site in Menard County.
Uninformed detractors have unfortunately caused undue fear by creating and spreading incorrect information. BESS technology is not perfect, but it is safe and beneficial.
The information on this site has been beneficial for the people just wanting to know what is going on, away from personal attacks and hyperbole.
After the dozens of in person and phone conversations Tyler and I have had with concerned friends, family and locals, I decided to launch this site to provide details from an informed source. As the landowners of the proposed site, we absolutely have a bias toward the positive. The bias is an informed opinion cultivated by countless hours of researching the BESS sector, its technologies, its potential, the good the bad, and everything in between. Actual data was pulled from scholarly articles, data sets, research publications and qualified industry representatives.
I also spent much effort contacting educated individuals as sources. If Tyler and I go through with the sale of our land to this developer, it will be a solid decision based on long-term, legitimate due diligence.
We have been disheartened by some of the misinformed allegations against us in regard to this matter but are strengthened by the majority who have chosen to express their questions and concerns in a civil manner. This site is me, Paige, personally. I have used Menard News graphics and information that I wrote for the newspaper, but most of this is from the casual, non-hysterical conversations we have had when people ask. I plan to add a bibliography soon and both Tyler and I are always willing to have a truthful, educated conversation with anyone who so desires.
While there is no way to accurately predict the future Menard County land values with the installment of a BESS facility, Concho County’s market response to wind turbines is promising:
“There have been no noticeable decreases in property values within [Concho] county’s land market, despite the wind turbine farms.”
-Concho County Chief Appraiser D’Andra Warlick
After visiting other sites, meeting with engineers and safety experts and also consulting with EMCs across Texas:
"In my opinion when comparing the [proposed] facility to large LPG storage tanks, large pipelines and hazmat transportation, all which are currently in our community daily, the proposed BESS facility will be SAFE. The risk to benefit factor would lean to the benefit side."
-Menard County Emergency Management Coordinator Jeff Whitson
We Are Not Alone
I guess not many people realize this, but our spot is not the only one in consideration. RES is not the only company looking into the Yellowjacket substation and all of them are in closer proximity to civilization than this proposed one. No one knows about that because it is the landowner’s business.
What it is
BESS = Battery Energy Storage System. A site consists of sea-container type containers, no taller than 12 feet, which house racks of lithium batteries.
The proposed site in Menard will be about 10 acres, 70-100 containers. The entire site is fenced, with a crushed rock surround. Not always crushed rock, but certainly not dried grass and weeds. The site will be lit, but in a guard light type manner, not football field bright.
Also, on site there are inverters, changing DC to AC before the energy is fed to the grid. A ¼ mile electric transmission line will be the tie in from the BESS to the Yellowjacket substation nearby and will run parallel with an existing transmission line. The closest property line is 1,000 feet away and the closet structure is over 1,500 feet way, well beyond the recommended safe distance.
The BESS failure rate decreased 97% between 2018 and 2023.
Why now?
Energy storage via battery is not a brand-new thing, it goes back to the early 2010s. In the early days it was kind of like the wild west- not a lot of regulation, and safety protocols were all kind of trial by error. And that’s the timeframe you see all the scary fire statistics; it sucks, but those accidents were the lessons learned in not just safety, but the all-around efficiency and operation of the technology. The BESS failure rate decreased 97% between 2018 and 2023.
Battery energy storage really took off after the ice-apocalypse/disastrous grid failure in 2021. One, because it was obvious something had to change and, as usual, companies saw there was money to be made. When Texas put out the call for grid improvement after the winter storm, the development of battery energy storage (among other things) became a priority. The sector gained a ton of attention which greatly increased the study and evolution of the practice. BESS has emerged as a key factor in stabilizing the state’s grid.
There was a record heatwave in August of 2023 that lasted pretty much the whole month. The Comptroller’s office reported that the extra power stored in battery system (the ones connected to the grid for this reason) helped reduce energy costs by nearly 50%. Not bad.
Texas is the leading the nation in BESS development and even with the rapid growth there have been zero fires/incidents at any Texas facility.
Construction and jobs
Construction of the site will undoubtedly be a pain in the ass. Big trucks, equipment, people in and out… not great. But after construction is complete there should be no regular traffic to the site.
As far as job opportunities for locals, I think there will be a few positions available on-site once constructed, but the applicant must be qualified. I don’t know if qualified means ‘NASA engineer,’ or ‘no-felonies-in-the-last-ten-years,’ so I am no help there.
The construction companies they’ll bring in are specialized, just like the oil field has its own genre of specialized crews and companies. I don’t know if those type operations hire locally or bring trained crews in.
All information put forth on this site is via Paige Wright. All of the presented information is intended in good faith, but mistakes are inevitably a possibility. The content of this site should be used as intended- an educated opinion after a decent amount of research. If you notice errors, please let me know and I will correct as necessary: paige@menardnews.com
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