Considering battery storage on your Los Angeles County land?

Check the parcel’s location before choosing a review process

LA County Planning says it is the planning department for land outside a city in the county’s unincorporated areas. If your property is inside a city, have the company identify that city’s process instead. A Los Angeles County address does not mean the county planning rules govern every parcel.

For county land, both the land-use designation and zoning matter. The county explains that its General Plan and more specific community plans guide uses, while zoning addresses allowed uses, design and the review process. Ask which designations apply to your parcel and what the proposed battery use would require.

Show the whole route, not just the equipment site. An entrance, electrical line or construction area may cross a different parcel or land under another authority. Ask the developer who controls those areas and what rights it needs.

The map in the county’s August 2026 ordinance-review notice distinguishes unincorporated areas from federal and state lands. It is a map of that proposed planning update, not permission to build on any particular property. Confirm the actual land ownership and responsible authority for each part of your proposal.

Reference: LA County Planning: land use and zoning · LA County Planning: permit types and counseling · LA County: August 3, 2026 notice of preparation for the proposed renewable energy ordinance update

Keep proposed battery rules separate from requirements in force

When reviewed on October 8, 2026, the county’s ordinance-update document page labeled its August 2026 ordinance as a draft. The related notice describes environmental review of a proposed zoning update and expressly says it does not propose individual development.

The draft distinguishes batteries serving on-site use from utility-scale systems and proposes different review paths. Do not use those proposed categories or standards as confirmation that your project is allowed. Have the developer obtain the current requirements for the location, equipment and proposed use.

If a company says the rules are changing, ask what has been adopted, when it takes effect and how it affects the application. Discuss who handles revisions, added studies and delay if the layout or review requirements change.

The notice’s public-comment period ended September 17, 2026. That date should not be confused with an approval date for the ordinance or a deadline for your property. A public-review document and a completed project approval are different records.

Reference: LA County Planning: renewable energy ordinance update documents and draft labels · LA County: August 3, 2026 notice of preparation for the proposed renewable energy ordinance update · LA County: public-review draft renewable energy ordinance update, posted August 2026

Understand what the owner paperwork authorizes

The county’s zoning checklist, revised July 14, 2026, calls for proof of ownership, owner acknowledgment and an ownership-and-consent affidavit. It also describes a notarized authorization when someone other than the owner signs the application. Ask the company to identify exactly who will act for you and for which request.

The owner acknowledgment is more than a statement that you are interested. It covers the application and plans, their accuracy, possible additional information and fees, and notice of project or ownership changes. Read the complete proposal and attachments before signing.

That form also authorizes county entry for inspection, photography and application processing, with or without prior notice under its stated terms. Discuss how that affects ongoing uses of the property. Permission for a company’s agreed site visit is a separate decision.

The acknowledgment explains that submitted materials may become public records and may be posted on the county website. Ask what the application will contain before authorizing submission. These county application terms are separate from sending Sunland an initial property inquiry.

The consent affidavit asks all record owners to sign and includes a notary attachment. Where a company, partnership or trust owns the land, the checklist asks for ownership and signing-authority information. Resolve who can sign, keep copies, and ask how a later change in owner, applicant or agent will be handled.

Reference: LA County Planning: zoning permit instructions and checklist, revised July 14, 2026 · LA County Planning: property owner acknowledgment form · LA County Planning: ownership and consent affidavit, revised October 6, 2025

Review access, retained uses and drainage on the same drawing

Mark the land you would offer and the parts you want to keep using. Include a home, farm access, shared driveway, wells, existing leases or other uses that could be affected by deliveries, fencing or electrical work.

The reviewed site-plan portion of the county checklist calls for property lines, easements, access ways, road and right-of-way improvements, equipment and other site features. It also asks for overhead power lines and utility-provider prohibited zones. Have the developer account for those features rather than fit the battery containers into a blank parcel outline.

The checklist also describes existing-condition and demolition plans that distinguish what will remain from what will be removed. Ask which fences, trees, roads or structures the company expects to change, and which uses must remain accessible throughout construction.

Grading drawings are expected to show relevant contours, drainage courses and retention features. Discuss where runoff goes and whether project work affects the retained land or adjoining properties. Have the applicable technical studies and design requirements confirmed for the actual proposal.

A county land-use review does not supply private access rights or utility connection capacity. Ask how off-site easements will be secured and what connection studies or approvals remain before the battery can charge and discharge.

Reference: LA County Planning: zoning permit instructions and checklist, revised July 14, 2026 · LA County Planning: permit types and counseling

Ask how review costs, changes and eventual removal will be handled

The county offers general planning counseling and a more formal, paid review with other departments. Its permit page also describes specific areas where preliminary counseling is required. Ask which step is appropriate to the proposal, who prepares the materials and who pays. Do not assume every conversation is a paid application or a project approval.

The filing page explains that a base application receives a reference number, which changes once the application is accepted. It says fees must be paid for official submission. Those processing stages do not mean the project has permission to grade or build; the county’s permit guidance identifies further approvals before work starts.

The owner acknowledgment says additional information and fees may be required, approval is not guaranteed and denials do not result in refunds under the form’s terms. Before signing an application or land agreement, settle who covers the company’s review costs and what happens if the proposal changes or stops.

Discuss removal from the start. The posted draft proposes removal and restoration plans, financial guarantees and county access for decommissioning. These are proposed provisions, not a promise that your land is already protected. Ask what the agreement itself will require and what the responsible authority actually requires.

The discussion should cover equipment, damaged components, foundations, roads, electrical works and the condition in which the land will be returned. Have your adviser review who pays, the protection if the project changes hands and how access rights end. Do not leave those questions to the last years of a lease.

Reference: LA County Planning: permit types and counseling · LA County Planning: filing an application · LA County Planning: property owner acknowledgment form · LA County: public-review draft renewable energy ordinance update, posted August 2026

Start with the location and the uses you want to preserve

Send Sunland your contact details and the property location through the form on this page. An address, parcel number or description using nearby roads can help us begin. Tell us whether you would consider a lease, sale or only a portion of the land.

Mention known restrictions, shared access, existing occupants or leases and any part of the property you need to keep using. You do not need to register for the county portal, prepare a permit application or order a new survey before asking about the land.

We can discuss the possible area and the checks a proposal would need. An inquiry does not sign county paperwork, authorize entry or commit you to a land agreement. Those permissions, responsibilities and terms would be addressed separately.

Reference: LA County Planning: filing an application · LA County Planning: property owner acknowledgment form