Battery Storage Landman
A battery storage landman (or “land agent”) interacts with landowners to secure lease or sale agreements for battery storage projects. Acquiring land for battery storage requires a blend of industry knowledge, on-the-ground experience, and interpersonal skills.
Challenges of Battery Storage Land Acquisition
Acquiring land for battery storage requires a specialized approach due to the following factors:
Variety of Use Cases: Battery storage solves problems for organizations across multiple sectors. Utility companies leverage battery storage to guard against brownouts and blackouts. Tech firms utilize battery storage to avoid data center downtime. Many renewable energy developers consider battery storage a necessary part of solar and wind energy. Battery storage land agents must flexibly adapt and tailor their strategies to align with the unique characteristics of each project.
Semi-permanence of Battery Storage: Clearing land, laying down gravel, installing commercial battery storage containers, and capturing excess energy can be a long-term proposition from a land utilization perspective. This reality may pose red flags for landowners and delay the completion of land agreements.
High Value Density per Acre: One battery storage site could potentially involve hundreds of millions of dollars of equipment packed into a few dozen acres. Case in point, Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. (MISO), a transmission system operator in multiple Midwestern and Southern states, only requires 1/10th of an acre per MW for battery storage (source: MISO’s Site Control Evidence Documentation Checklist). With so much capital invested into such a small geographic footprint, finding the best location is key for delivering return on investment.
Industry Knowledge: Battery storage projects are fairly technical and may require locations in multiple states. Subsurface rights can vary considerably between neighboring states, creating additional complexity.
Additional Factors: Battery storage also poses many of the same land-related challenges that are common to traditional energy projects. Finding the right parcel(s) with the fewest number of landowners at the right price is still a priority.
Characteristics to Look for in a Battery Storage Landman
At New Era Land Services, we believe that land agents should possess the following capabilities when tackling a battery storage project:
Knowledgeable: Battery storage agents must be familiar with multiple disciplines that extend beyond basic land knowledge. Maintaining proper context requires the agent to view projects from multiple perspectives—technoloical, energy, business, legal, etc.
Access to GIS: Selecting the ideal site for battery storage can be a data-intensive activity that requires careful analysis of parcel and landowner density, substation proximity, and natural resources. Effectively leveraging modern GIS (geographic information systems) is essential.
Skilled Researcher: Land agents must also know how and where to look for existing title information. Oftentimes this involves performing courthouse research, although some counties have digitized their records and published them online. Either way, properly understanding surface and mineral rights is key for avoiding costly issues.
Relationship Focused: Piecing together the right mix of parcels for a multistate battery storage initiative is a collaborative effort between project developers and land agents. Successful projects are built on trust and healthy working relationships.
Land Services for Battery Storage
Need to hire one or more land agents for an upcoming battery storage project? Contact our team at New Era Land Services to discuss our capabilities for battery storage.