Council Members Who Received Thousands from Representing Firm Vote Yes On Battery Storage Project Annexation

Council members who recently received thousands and thousands in contribution money from Wood Rodgers, the engineering and planning firm representing the Trego Grid Battery Energy Storage System BESS in south Reno, Devon Reese, Miguel Martinez and Brandi Anderson, all voted yes at a meeting yesterday to adopt its desired 54-acre land annexation, despite community concerns over safety risks.

Kathleen Taylor who was not present for the vote has also received money from the firm.

There were two no votes, from Mayor Hillary Schieve who echoed previous public commenters calling the lithium batteries “problematic” in terms of where these will be located, and “the fire problems that they do have,” and from Naomi Duerr who also repeatedly stated her concerns on the project’s location right by the Talus Valley housing complex, reversing a previous yes vote related to this project.

The 200-megawatt lithium-ion battery energy storage system which will connect to NV Energy’s existing Mira Loma substation is now expected to undergo review by the Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Commission due to its regional significance.

The overall idea is to help prevent brownouts, lead to better use of renewable energy on the local grid and create enhanced grid reliability especially during peak demand times.

In recent deliberations, it was indicated the nearest battery unit would be 445 feet from a residential lot.

In recent contribution reports we found, Wood Rodgers was listed as giving $2,000 to Brandi Anderson in 2024; $5,000 to Kathleen Taylor in 2023, $2,000 in 2024, $500 in 2025, and $4,500 in 2026; $4,000 to Miguel Martinez in 2024; $5,000 in 2023 to Devon Reese, $2,300 in in kind in 2024, with an additional $2660 in 2024 and $500 in 2025 to his campaign coffers.

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