Fears of Battery Fires Stoke Opposition to Energy Storage Projects

Across the U.S., large lithium-ion battery arrays are increasingly being connected to electrical grids to store power for use during peak demand.

At least a few dozen U.S. localities have temporarily halted development of large-scale BESS installations in recent years.

But some communities are pushing back amid fears that the systems could catch fire, as a massive facility in California did earlier this year, Michael Hill reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Supporters argue that modern battery energy storage systems are safe, but growing numbers of local governments are imposing moratoriums.

“We’re not guinea pigs for anybody ... we are not going to experiment, we’re not going to take risk,” said Island Park, New York, Mayor Michael McGinty, whose village passed a moratorium in July after a project was proposed nearby.

At least a few dozen U.S. localities have temporarily halted development of large-scale systems in recent years. Known as BESS, these systems can improve grid reliability and have been credited with reducing blackouts.

A typical setup consists of shipping containers packed with hundreds of thousands of battery cells.

Long Island has become a focal point of the controversy, even drawing attention from the Trump administration.

Opposition there intensified in August when Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin visited New York and accused the state of rushing approvals for sites to meet what he called “delusional” green energy goals—a charge state officials deny.

Battery storage systems that absorb cheap power during off-peak hours and discharge it during high demand are seen as essential to balancing intermittent energy sources like wind and solar, Jennifer McDermott also reported for AP.