DON’T BESS WITH DURANGO or HESPERUS!! 

Do you know? Are you aware? 

 Ordinances are being written and will be adopted in La Plata County for commercial and industrial scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) **WITHOUT YOUR INPUT as soon as DEC 16, 2025** 

 Megawatt (MW) sized BESS units are used to store energy during high production times for times when production is low (a buy low/sell high model). Each 1 MW of power is connected to the grid in an industrial sized shipping container (40’x8’x8’) which houses many thousands of lithium-ion or lithium iron phosphate batteries. 

 Associated risks include thermal runaway resulting in multi-day to multi-week highly toxic chemical fires/plumes requiring evacuations, that can endanger our lives, habitat and even our water sources. 

 Durango Fire states that there is NO station capable of handling a fire of this type in La Plata County, and the only approach is to “let it burn”. 

 A 20 MW BESS is planned for LPEA’s Shenandoah substation on CR 125. 

 A 155 MW BESS is required for Primergy’s proposed 1900 acre solar industrial complex in Hesperus on the 141. (Solar is great, industrial scale solar near residential communities is NOT). This site heavily impacts an elk migration area. 

 BESS installations of this scope turn rural communities into industrial zones that destroy community enjoyment and aesthetics. Heavy equipment required for construction and upkeep puts stress on already strained roads and traffic flow. 

 24/7 noise pollution of up to 90 dB from BESS cooling fans is unavoidable. 

 Homeowner’s insurance rates increase near BESS sites due to increased fire risk. Coverage becomes more difficult to get/keep, and property values see 10-30% drops.  School districts in BESS communities are promised tax incentives, yet they don’t generate tax revenue as BESS depreciate yearly, and disposal/replacement of old batteries are not factored into long-term revenue. 

 Food for thought: LPEA is partnered with Convergent Energy on the Shenandoah BESS. Convergent energy is owned by Energy Capitol Partners, a private equity firm owned and/or partnered with several other private equities who are heavily involved in data processing centers. LPEA CEO Chris Hansen has stated publicly that Durango is a great place for data centers. Do you research and decide for yourself. 

 La Plata County is NOT READY for another environmental disaster the scale of the Silverton/Animus River spill and the 416 fire, combined. 

Please call our County Commissioners at 970-382-6219 and demand that La Plata County extend the current moratorium on BESS construction until a TRUE public consensus can be reached on safety standards and site locations.