Delivering the right amount of resilience, reliability, and security for the biggest little city in Kansas.

The same values that have made Halstead unique as a community provide the foundation for the proposed Tallgrass Prairie Energy Storage Project.

RESILIENCY:

Like the state’s beloved Tallgrass Prairie standing upright no matter what extreme weather Mother Nature brings, standalone energy storage systems are used to provide energy resiliency to communities like Halstead when it’s needed most. Tallgrass Prairie Energy Storage’s proposed capacity of 140MW/280MWh can power approximately 28,000 homes for up to two hours and is dispatchable in a matter of seconds.

RELIABILITY:

Like the Halstead community, where neighbors count on each other no matter what, standalone energy storage systems provide an immediate reliable power source, which means the organizations who run the electric grid can more efficiently balance out the energy supply and demand when its most needed, like in the evenings when renewable generation like solar falls off, but demand for electricity is still high. That reliability helps keep the overall price of power at lower rates.

SECURITY:

nergy security is also important to minimize the need to import power and source electricity as locally as possible. It’s equally important that Halstead’s residents feel safe and secure, regardless of where they live in the community. The proposed location of the Tallgrass Prairie Energy Storage Project is ideally located in a safe and secure 11-acre parcel inside the Halstead Industrial Park.

Security and safety are the most important aspects when it comes to operating a stand-alone battery storage project, which is why the proposed site must adhere to strict national fire safety standards (see those standards below) and all local fire prevention organizations and entities are in the process of receiving extensive training on not only fire prevention, but how to safely and efficiently mitigate any threat, in the rare case of a fire occurring.

We also want to help the city of Halstead plan for a clean energy future. Protecting Halstead’s clean air, water and soil for future generations is as important as providing clean and sustainable energy, and in fact, the two go hand in hand. The Tallgrass Prairie Energy Storage project will have the ability to deliver power even when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining — allowing other clean energy sources that have been built across the state to operate more efficiently.

BENEFITS TO THE BIGGEST LITTLE CITY:

Finally, the Tallgrass Prairie Energy Storage project will give back to the community of Halstead in several ways:

1) By providing a significant source of tax revenue that can be used to help pay for critical infrastructure investment

2) By attracting other industrial or commercial development opportunities to the area

3) By providing local jobs and increased spending in the surrounding community during construction

Pre-engineering 3D rendering of storage project on proposed industrial park

Frequently Asked Questions

A Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) can be explained most simply as a collection of big, rechargeable batteries that store excess electricity from the grid when it is needed the least and then releasing the electricity later when it is needed the most.

A typical utility-sized BESS unit looks similar to other electrical equipment you would see in any electrical substation and is often compared visually to a shipping container. Inside of each “shipping container-type” unit is a series of cabinets that house racks of batteries which are very similar to the batteries found in your personal cellphone or laptop. In this case there is simply more of them. Additionally, there is usually a cabinet for a heating & cooling system and another cabinet for a Battery Management System that monitors & controls the system. Collectively, all of these parts make up a Battery Energy Storage System.

How does a BESS work?

Battery Energy Storage Systems are critical tools for electrical grid reliability. Throughout a typical day there are many hours where the grid is flooded with excess electricity that has nowhere to go and there are also hours where there is a very limited amount of electricity. The result of these excesses and shortages are very volatile electrictiy prices and unreliable service that can result in blackouts, etc… BESS serve a critical function in that they help to balance out these times of excess and shortage.

When the grid is flooded with this excess electricity a BESS charges up, and then later in the day when there is a shortage of electricity, the BESS discharges that same electricity back onto the grid.

The property at 301 Industrial Road (which has stood undeveloped for over a century) is an ideal location for a Battery Energy Storage System. The property is zoned as heavy indutrial and neighboring facilities include a high voltage electrical substation, an asphalt manufacturing plant, and other heavy industrial applications. Additionally, the property is difficult to to site many developments due to an electrical transmission line that runs through the middle of it. Which means that this project will be solving a problem by creating an opportunity from an underutilized land tract. The combination of these characteristics make this an ideal location for the Tallgrass Energy Storage project.

In addition to increasing electrical grid reliability, creating temporary construction jobs, and a lifetime of rent payments to the city, there is a large economic incentive package that has been offered to the City of Halstead by Tallgrass Prairie Storage LLC.

As of February 2025 the City of Halstead Planning Commission is still drafting a zoning regulation amendment for residential, commercial, and industrial Battery Energy Storage installations. Once these new zoning regulations are adopted, Tallgrass Prairie Storage LLC will then have the opportunity to submit an application for the project for review by the Planning Commission and City Council.

The current zoning regulation amendment that is under review is in no way related to the project being proposed in the industrial park and the approval of these regulations would only mean that Tallgrass Prairie Storage LLC will have an opportunity to submit an application for a Special Use Permit which would then be approved or denied by the City Council.

The current requirements for the Special Use Permit Application can be found in the most recent draft of the zoning regulations amendments on the City webpage (see here).The most specific details on what will need to be included in the application can be found in sections G, H, I, J & K. Anyone who is curious about what standards the proposed project will be held to is seriously encouraged to review this amendment and provide recommendations to the City of Halstead Planning Commission.

As of February 2025 the City of Halstead Planning Commission is still drafting a zoning regulation amendment for residential, commercial, and industrial Battery Energy Storage installations. Once these new zoning regulations are adopted, Tallgrass Prairie Storage LLC will then have the opportunity to submit an application for the project for review by the Planning Commission and City Council.

The current zoning regulation amendment that is under review is in no way related to the project being proposed in the industrial park and the approval of these regulations would only mean that Tallgrass Prairie Storage LLC will have an opportunity to submit an application for a Special Use Permit which would then be approved or denied by the City Council.

The BESS project being proposed is not connected or related to any solar, wind, or other generation facility. At any given time of day in Kansas the electricity flowing through the electrical grid is sourced from a mix of natural gas, coal, nuclear, wind, & hydro power generation facilities. Once electricity enters the grid from different power generation facilities there is no way to distinguish the electrons from one another. This is one of the most important facts about BESS. Just like the electricity that comes to your home…a BESS system like the one being proposed in Halstead is simply using whatever is available on the grid at that time.

Tallgrass Prairie Storage will be an outdoor facility and containers will be spaced according to NFPA 855 & UL9540 standards

As of February 2025 the City of Halstead Planning Commission is still drafting a zoning regulation amendment for residential, commercial, and industrial Battery Energy Storage installations. Once these new zoning regulations are adopted, Tallgrass Prairie Storage LLC will then have the opportunity to submit an application for the project for review by the Planning Commission and City Council.

The current zoning regulation amendment that is under review is in no way related to the project being proposed in the industrial park and the approval of these regulations would only mean that Tallgrass Prairie Storage LLC will have an opportunity to submit an application for a Special Use Permit which would then be approved or denied by the City Council.