Farmers fight battery storage plans on Victorian farmland
Companies including Samsung have applied for planning permission to build three battery storage facilities on farmland in eastern Victoria, ABC reports. Farmers are objecting, citing concerns about the use of productive agricultural land.
Companies including Samsung have applied for planning permission to build three battery energy storage systems (BESS) on farmland in the Baw Baw area of eastern Victoria, ABC reports. Farmers have voiced concerns about productive land being given over to energy infrastructure.
Battery storage is becoming increasingly important to balance the variable output of renewable generation and to improve grid reliability. But the siting of the projects highlights the tension between the energy transition and agricultural land use.
Farmers and the companies set out differing views on land use, visual impact and contributions to the local economy. The planning process and the local council's assessment will determine the projects' future.
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