Common Questions from
Municipalities, Utilities, and Landowners

Nothing. Site assessments are free, confidential, and require no commitment. We cover all costs from initial assessment through permitting, construction, and long-term operations. Your community takes no financial risk at any stage.

We look for parcels generally between 2 and 20 acres that are reasonably close to an existing electrical substation or distribution feeder. The site does not need to be pristine: former industrial land, underutilized town-owned fields, utility easements, and land near substations that never sold are all candidates. Our site tool gives an initial read in minutes. Wetland-dominated parcels, flood zones, and sites with major easement conflicts typically do not qualify.

Our desktop suitability review takes 1–2 weeks. If the site looks viable, a more detailed feasibility study takes another 2–6 weeks. You will have a clear picture of whether your site qualifies well before any permits are filed or any agreements are signed.

Both. If you have a parcel in mind, enter it in our site tool and we will assess it. If you own multiple properties and are not sure which might qualify, we can run a portfolio review and identify the most promising candidates.

Lease payments depend on the size of the project, local land values, and the specific terms negotiated. We provide a specific proposed payment in the term sheet after feasibility is complete. We do not publish generic ranges because they vary significantly by project, but this is one of the initial questions we answer once we know your site.

Typical ground lease terms run 15 to 30 years, with renewal options. The term is negotiated as part of the term sheet and reflects the expected useful life of the equipment and the economics of the project.

Lease payments begin when the system reaches commercial operation, meaning it is producing and delivering power to the grid. Pre-operational payments or development fees can sometimes be structured into the term sheet as well; we discuss this case by case.

In most states, a battery storage system on leased land is assessed as personal property of the developer, not as real estate of the municipality. This means your community's property tax base is generally not reduced. We recommend your legal counsel review this question under your state's specific tax statutes, and we provide the relevant documentation to support that review.

We handle all permitting. This typically includes local zoning approval or special permit, state environmental review, an interconnection application to the local utility and ISO, and in some cases a state-level energy siting certificate. The specific approvals vary by state and by project size. We are present at public hearings, respond to agency comments, and manage all timelines. Your community is kept informed at every step but is not responsible for managing any of these processes.

In most cases, yes: local zoning approval typically requires a public hearing before the planning board or zoning board of appeals, and some communities require a town meeting vote to authorize a ground lease on town-owned land.

Permitting is the longest phase of the project, typically 6 to 18 months depending on state, local zoning complexity, and the interconnection queue. We factor this into the overall timeline when we present the feasibility results. Most projects from first conversation to power flowing run 12 to 24 months total.

Yes. Vanadium flow batteries use a water-based, non-flammable electrolyte. Thermal runaway, the chemical chain reaction that causes lithium-ion fires, is physically impossible with this chemistry. There are no toxic gas emissions under any operating or failure condition. NFPA 855 (the standard governing battery storage installations) requires only a 10-foot setback from property lines for vanadium flow systems, compared to 30 feet for lithium-ion. These systems are routinely permitted near residential areas, schools, and town centers.

The system is housed in standard shipping containers, similar in appearance to containerized equipment already common near utility infrastructure. A 5 MW project typically occupies 2–4 acres. Sites are fenced, secured, and professionally maintained. We work with your planning board to address aesthetic concerns, including landscaping buffers and screening where appropriate.

We operate and maintain the system 24/7 for the full lease term. All systems include remote monitoring, automated safety controls, and on-call response. In the event of any issue, our operations team responds, not your municipality. Emergency protocols are coordinated with local fire and public safety departments during commissioning.

We deploy long-duration battery storage directly at your facility, sized to your load profile. The system charges during off-peak hours and discharges during peak demand windows, reducing your demand charges and providing backup power during outages. When the system has capacity beyond your facility needs, excess power can be exported back to the local grid, improving resilience for the surrounding community. We fund, build, and operate the system under a services agreement. You pay nothing upfront.

Demand charges can account for 30 to 50 percent of a commercial or industrial electricity bill. The exact savings depend on your utility rate structure, load profile, and how much of your peak demand the system can shave. We model this specifically for your site and present projected annual savings alongside the project proposal.

Yes. For landowners with qualifying parcels near a substation or distribution feeder, we offer ground lease or land purchase arrangements in addition to on-site storage. You can monetize excess acreage, reduce your grid exposure, and strengthen your sustainability reporting, all under a single partnership with Tremont.

Yes. On-site long-duration storage enables higher renewable penetration on your local grid, supports direct renewable procurement, and reduces your contribution to peak grid demand, which is typically the most carbon-intensive electricity. We provide documentation suitable for ESG reporting and Scope 2 disclosures.

The ground lease runs with the land and survives any change in ownership or corporate structure. A successor operator is bound by all the same obligations. We also require a decommissioning fund, either cash or a bond, to be established at project close, which covers site restoration costs regardless of what happens to the company. Your community is protected against being left with an abandoned project.

Ground leases are long-term agreements and early termination is not free. We have invested significant capital. The lease will define the specific conditions and costs for early termination, which we discuss openly during negotiation. Generally, communities are not expected to terminate early, and the lease is structured to be a stable, multi-decade relationship.

Tremont owns all equipment for the duration of the ground lease. Your community owns the land. At end of lease, you have the option to purchase the equipment at fair market value, extend the lease, or have us decommission and restore the site, all at our cost.

Vanadium flow battery systems are over 98% recyclable. The vanadium electrolyte is recovered and sold back into the supply chain. Cell stack and container components are recycled through standard industrial channels. There is no hazardous waste. Site restoration, including removal of all equipment, containers, and infrastructure, is funded by the decommissioning reserve established at project close. Your land is returned to its pre-project condition.