Van Zandt County commissioners are set to weigh a temporary halt on new solar, wind and battery storage projects amid escalating state scrutiny of Chinese-linked energy technology.
The Van Zandt County Commissioners Court will consider a temporary moratorium on all proposed solar, wind and battery energy storage system developments during its regular meeting on February 11 at 9 a.m. at the county courthouse in Canton.
The proposed moratorium would pause permitting and construction until the Texas Attorney General completes what his office has described as an ongoing investigation into the use of products from Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited, or CATL, in Texas critical infrastructure, according to a press release from the Legislative Energy Action Foundation (LEAF).
LEAF President Nancy White said that CATL, a Chinese battery manufacturer, poses potential risks to the Texas power grid and cited what she described as documentation linking CATL battery cells to the 100-megawatt Amador Energy Storage Project under development in Van Zandt County. The project is managed by Taaleri, a Finnish energy company.
White said a signed document from a Taaleri owner confirms the presence of CATL components in the build. The Dallas Express has not independently verified that document. The outlet also reached out to Taaleri for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
The press release states that Van Zandt County officials have expended “significant resources,” addressing citizen safety concerns tied to the Amador site, including fire risks and compliance issues.
The proposed moratorium comes against a backdrop of prior legal and regulatory disputes over the project. In April 2025, a temporary restraining order was issued preventing batteries from being brought to the 48-acre site after testing that officials said indicated thermal runaway failure, according to reporting at the time by KLTV. The order, initially set for two weeks, was repeatedly renewed while county officials said required documentation had not been provided.
“As of now I have no documentation. The stuff that has been tested has failed,” Van Zandt County Fire Marshal Kevin Palmer told the outlet in June 2025, per KLTV.
In subsequent hearings, county officials continued to express concerns about fire suppression capacity and emergency response planning. “We do not have the equipment, the water, the manpower and the proper personal protective equipment that is mandated. The county is not going to allow our firefighters to be in danger,” Palmer said in September 2025, according to KLTV.
State leaders have also taken steps related to foreign-linked energy components. On January 26, Governor Greg Abbott updated Texas’ prohibited technologies list to include CATL following what his office described as a threat assessment by Texas Cyber Command, according to a press release from his office. In November 2024, Executive Order GA-49 addressed protections for critical infrastructure from hostile foreign governments, including the People’s Republic of China.
Attorney General Ken Paxton announced in November 2025 that his office was investigating CATL’s role in certain Texas battery projects, alleging potential violations of state law. CATL did not respond to a prior request for comment from The Dallas Express in connection with a separate report.
Van Zandt County currently faces plans for nine battery storage projects, seven solar projects and one wind project, according to LEAF. Public comment is expected during the February 11 meeting, and the full agenda is available on the county’s website.
The commissioners have not publicly indicated how they intend to vote.
