Battery storage rules: Marshall County, IN
On April 20, 2026 the Marshall County commissioners passed Ord. 2026-7, a zoning amendment regulating battery energy storage systems. Before passage they raised its setback to 1,320 feet from the nearest edge of adjacent properties (February 16, 2026). Ask the county for the adopted text, and whether the 2025 battery storage moratorium is still in effect or ended with Ord. 2026-7.
Marshall County: battery storage ordinance passed April 2026 (1,320 ft setback)
Ord. 2026-7, passed April 20, 2026, regulates battery energy storage systems, with a setback of 1,320 feet from the nearest edge of adjacent properties. Marshall County commissioners' minutes, February 16 and April 20, 2026
Fire and building codes in force
- 2014 Indiana Fire Code (2012 IFC), effective December 1, 2014; an update to the 2024 IFC is in rulemaking with no effective date
- Utility-scale systems: NFPA 855, 2023 edition, by statute (IC 22-14-8-2, -6), unless the Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission amends it by rule (none adopted); the Indiana Department of Homeland Security is the authority having jurisdiction (IC 22-14-8-1)
- 2014 Indiana Building Code (2012 IBC); 2020 Indiana Residential Code (2018 IRC, effective December 26, 2019); Indiana Electrical Code 2009 (2008 NEC)
How a project is permitted
Local zoning decides where battery storage goes. A system that can store and release more than 1 MW for at least one hour also needs the Department of Homeland Security's approval: the application includes plans, an emergency response plan and a training plan, with a $250 fee; the Department must give notice of approval or disapproval within 30 days of receiving the application and fee, and must approve an application that complies. Approval to operate needs a commissioning plan and test that comply with NFPA 855. The operator gives the final emergency response plan to the local fire department and offers that department training every year (IC 22-14-8-4, -5, -9). The law exempts a system "used for the purpose of providing electricity to meet or offset all or part of a host operation's energy needs", battery recycling facilities and the manufacturing or storage of batteries by an automobile manufacturer (IC 22-14-8-3(b)). Ask: does my county or city allow battery storage in this zone, and is a pause in effect? Has the Department approved this project, and has the fire department received the emergency response plan and been offered training? Which fire code edition does the fire department enforce here?
Setbacks and spacing
- 1,320 ft from the nearest edge of any adjacent properties (the Plan Commission described it as property line to property line) Local ordinance Marshall County Ord. 2026-7, Section VI(B) (commissioners' minutes, February 16 and April 20, 2026)
Sources
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.