Creek County Residents Push Back on Battery Storage Plan
Residents near a proposed battery storage project in Creek County are pushing back on the project proposed by Sofos Power, a firm based in Spain and also with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
The project is called the Silver City Resilient Power Battery Energy Storage project and was the subject this week of an open house meeting in the community of Silver City between Tulsa and Stillwater.
A report by KJRH TV News indicated the meeting “was heated with questions ranging from concerns about water contamination to possible explosions to the batteries themselves.”
Residents Voice Safety and Environmental Concerns
Community members questioned whether the battery energy storage system would pose risks to groundwater or surface water sources. Attendees also raised concerns about potential thermal runaway events, which can lead to fires or explosions involving certain battery technologies.
Residents asked directly about the type of batteries proposed, the chemicals involved, and what safety procedures would be implemented if the project moved forward. Their questions underscored a larger statewide trend of increased scrutiny toward energy storage development as utilities and private developers add more large-scale battery projects to help stabilize the grid.
Sofos Responds to Community Questions
SOFOS sent FOX23 the following statement:
“The Silver City Project is in the very early stages of development, our aim at this evening’s meeting was to provide great information about our project and to ultimately be a great community partner,” stated SOFOS in an email to FOX23.
SOFOS did not provide additional technical details during the meeting regarding project sizing, battery chemistry, or emergency response plans. The company reiterated that this early engagement process is meant to provide transparency and gather resident feedback.
No Application Filed With State Regulators
SOFOS has yet to make application for approval from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which oversees many utility-related projects and infrastructure proposals across the state.
Because no formal filing exists, there are no public documents at this time detailing engineering specifics, environmental assessments, or the projected timeline for the Silver City battery facility.
SOFOS indicated that additional community meetings will likely occur before any regulatory submission, but no dates have been announced.
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