Mt. Pleasant Rejects Company’s Request for Waiver to BESS Moratorium
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A company proposing a battery energy storage system (BESS) in Valhalla had its request for a hardship waiver from the Town of Mount Pleasant’s moratorium denied last week.
New Leaf Energy had sought relief from the prohibition, asking the Town Board to allow it to process its application before the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals, so when the moratorium expires it can be closer to receiving approvals.
However, the Town Board voted unanimously against granting the exemption, citing public safety concerns, particularly the threat of fires that have been associated with similar facilities across the United States.
Supervisor Carl Fulgenzi said town officials need to reach a comfort level before the BESS units are given the go-ahead.
“We appreciate your input on this,” Fulgenzi told the applicant’s representatives. “The Town Board initiated a moratorium for a reason; the reason was it’s new to us. We wanted to get more information and we are doing that.”
Heightening the concern for the board is the fact that two BESS systems have already been approved in town, one at the Reformed Church on Broadway in Hawthorne and the other near the town’s Community Center in Valhalla. Some board members and residents have expressed uneasiness about whether the town will be inundated with the units. Recently, Acquest Development informally pitched another BESS for the Rosedale Nursery property on Route 9A in Hawthorne.
New Leaf Energy’s proposal looks to install a five-megawatt Tesla Megapack 2 XL unit on Wall Street in Valhalla on a property located in the light industrial zone.
Senior Project Developer Corina Solis said New York State has an ever-increasing need for energy storage. The state has set a goal of generating 70 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030 and 100 percent by 2040.
By 2042, the state will need a 50 to 90 percent increase in electricity from its current levels, requiring a sharp increase in storage sites, she said. There are about 30 BESS systems that have been approved or are in the pipeline for Westchester, which means they will be installed throughout the county, Solis said. There are more than 40 in New York City, she said.
The state realizes that private investment is needed in order to develop many of these systems.
“There’s an unprecedented need in terms of increasing capacity and upgrades to the grid that’s needed, and that would just be absolutely unaffordable to be rate-based the way these structures have traditionally been invested in,” Solis said.
While there’s clearly a need for more energy storage in New York State, Town Board members weren’t convinced they should grant an exemption for New Leaf Energy. Councilman Tom Sialiano, a retired New York City Fire Department lieutenant, said the nature of the fires makes him nervous without learning more about it, particularly the impact of a fire on the environment.
“The fires associated with this product are super dangerous, you can’t put it out,” Sialiano said. “The byproducts of combustion are lethal. There’s not enough evidence to me that the unit…it just burns. When the fire department responds, they’re just going to protect the perimeter.”
The town’s six-month moratorium was approved on Sept. 10.
Attorney Robert Gaudioso, representing New Leaf Energy, said there are ample regulations in the state Fire and Building Code listed to oversee the BESS systems. There will likely be additional guidelines developed in the future.
Solis also said that despite the fires from storage facilities in news accounts, less than 1 percent of the units go up in flames. Furthermore, there are rapid advances in making them safer, she said.
But Councilman Mark Saracino said he and his colleagues need more time to evaluate the risks.
“I’m not comfortable with it and I want you to respect and appreciate that fact that I’m not comfortable, and don’t tell me I should be comfortable or not,” he said.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
