Van Zandt County residents file lawsuit over lithium battery facility

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Our news partners at KETK report Van Zandt County residents have filed a lawsuit against stakeholders in the Amador Energy Storage Project that would bring a 100 MW lithium battery energy storage facility to the area. Owned by Finnish-based wind, solar and battery energy storage developer, Taaleri Energia, the Amador Project has drawn criticism from local citizens who argue it threatens their safety, livestock and rural lifestyle. Some of the concerns include fire risks, fire risks, environmental contamination, lack of firefighting resources and proximity to homes.

The storage facility would be located near FM 47 and FM 1651 on approximately 48 acres with construction already in motion and set to be fully functional by the end of next year. The 100 MW lithium battery storage facility could provide electricity at a rate of 100 million watts, which is used for grids to stabilize electricity supply.

“The Amador Energy Storage Project involves lithium-ion batteries, which carry inherent fire
risks associated with potential thermal runaway events. The project’s proposed location
heightens these concerns, as the closest home is just 1,056 feet away,” the lawsuit alleges. “Such incidents have occurred, including a 14-day lithium battery fire in Otay Mesa, California, in May 2024.”

In mid-November, hundreds of Van Zandt County residents met in Whitton to discuss their concerns with the lithium battery storage facility. People worry if an explosion were to happen, their local fire departments wouldn’t have the resources or people for a fast response.

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Van Zandt County Precinct 2 Commissioner Cliff Williams said their responsibility is to look after their constituents.

“If they don’t comply with the requests and provide us the information that we need to assure the citizens that this is a safe project, then we can seek an administrative hold from the fire marshal, the state fire marshal, and that’s the direction that we’re going to go.”

The lawsuit claims that Van Zandt County lacks resources to combat these fires, with no dedicated fire department in rural areas, insufficient water supplies and no access to specialized hazmat teams locally. If there is a battery rupture or fire, the lawsuit says toxic substances could contaminate local environments posing a risk to human health, livestock and crops.

However, the Whitten Volunteer Fire Department said about seven to eight people are on duty but mainly during the day. The department also recently received their first fire truck that holds 1,000 gallons of water.

Lawsuit against Amador Energy Storage Project Download
Residents also worry the possible threat to critical infrastructure, such as the Explorer Pipeline which residents fear placing it in such close proximity to a petroleum pipeline could lead to devastating consequences in the event of a fire or explosion.

“Our goal is to stop this project before it’s too late,” said a local resident. “The safety of our
community, the health of our environment, and the preservation of our way of life depend on it.”

Congressman Lance Gooden said, “We will not allow Van Zandt County to become a testing ground for dangerous industrial experiments.” Residents who are concerned about the Amador Project and would like to be added to the lawsuit are asked to email VZLawsuitJoin@gmail.com.