Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor, 

I recently attended the “Don’t BESS with Menard” meeting. It has certainly been a hot topic in this community recently. As someone hearing about this potential project through signs being plastered around town and social media battles, I had one goal in mind: listen with an open mind about what the BESS system could provide for our community. I came away with one way to describe this meeting: fearmongering on steroids. The overarching theme of this “expert” speaker was one of doom and gloom, with a large helping of misinformation, and it seemed clear to me that the speaker had an agenda all her own.

If the only information a person gathered on the topic came from this meeting, they would think there is absolutely no reason to have this kind of installation. From runaway fires to habitat irreversibly destroyed, to the Chinese taking control of our grid, to noise levels that are unbearable and will drive you crazy. You might think it would be better if we all went ahead and threw away our phones and went back to horse and buggy.

To quell some fears, there has not been a single case in Texas of these systems erupting into uncontrollable fires. Both the Department of Energy and our Public Utility Commission believe that battery storage systems will be a key component in improving grid resilience and dealing with power demands – including the management of runaway demand that we saw in the 2021 winter storm and price arbitrage that occurs in such events. These BESS systems are important for traditional energy sources (e.g. coal, and natural gas) as well as incorporating renewables into our electrical grid. Everyone has their own opinion on renewable energy, but one thing is clear: it is here to stay, and Texas is already the leader in green energy nationwide.

I am still learning a lot about these systems, and look forward to a REAL opportunity to ask someone with deep knowledge of these projects about their real pros and cons.

As far as the noise goes, I stepped outside at Club Victoria to see how loud our current electrical substation is after learning that it emits the same noise level as these BESS systems. I couldn’t even hear the substation over the roar of highway traffic.

It is good to see the community so interested in this potential project, but sometimes it might be good to set aside your personal differences and consider all aspects of the project.

Sincerely, 

Andrew Roll 
Menard

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