Battery storage rules: Phillips County, CO
Phillips County has paused applications for utility-scale solar and battery storage; the pause was extended on February 27, 2026 through August 27, 2026, and on August 20, 2026 through December 31, 2026. The county is also revising its Land Use Code. The resolution reads: "Battery systems less than 25-megawatt hour energy capacity and 5 megawatt discharge and less are exempt." Ask the county for its current status.
Phillips County: solar and battery storage applications paused through December 31, 2026
Resolution 2025-09-30-01, as amended, pauses utility-scale solar and battery storage applications; it was extended on February 27, 2026 through August 27, 2026, and on August 20, 2026 through December 31, 2026. Phillips County Resolution 2025-09-30-01 (as amended); Board minutes, August 20, 2026
Fire and building codes in force
- No statewide fire code edition for ordinary sites: ask your county or city building department and your fire protection district which edition applies
- The state Division of Fire Prevention and Control adopts the 2021 IFC only for buildings it oversees, such as public schools and health facilities (8 CCR 1507-101)
- A fire protection district's fire code applies in a county or city only if that county or city adopts it by resolution (C.R.S. 32-1-1002(1)(d))
How a project is permitted
Local: the county's zoning (in unincorporated areas, C.R.S. 30-28-113) or the city's or town's, with the permit type set locally (often a special use or conditional use permit). A local government may ask the Energy and Carbon Management Commission for technical support (SB24-212). Ask your county or city: is battery storage an allowed use in your zone, by what permit, is it paused, and which fire code applies?
Sources
- Phillips County Resolution 2025-09-30-01 (extended February 27, 2026) Phillips County
- Phillips County Board minutes, August 20, 2026 (extension) Phillips County
Check a specific system
For a proposal or a system you're evaluating, answer a few questions in BESScheck: you get the rules that apply here, a checklist of what to ask, and the sources behind each line.