Letters

On September 19, a year-old battery energy storage system facility blew up in California. On September 27, a brand-new installation burst into flames in Australia. These events come as unfriendly reminders of the danger we narrowly avoided by placing a moratorium on the giant BESS battery storage planned for a residential zone in Hampton Bays.

September 30 marked the one-month anniversary of the moratorium. In the five-month moratorium time remaining, we should revisit the issue and get some answers.

The initial fast-track approach to approving Canal BESS showed disgraceful disregard for facts and due process. Representatives from the Town Planning Department, New York State and the applicant threw around contradictory data without leaving a paper trail subject to public scrutiny. Their message: Relax. Trust us. We’re the experts. One hundred million watt hours of explosive lithium batteries in a residential community is no big deal. So, live with it.

Then, as four BESS fires raged across New York State, reality raised its head and the stampede toward approval was suddenly discredited. Belatedly, both the state and the town arrived at the same position.

Let’s get some answers before we go forward. Here are six questions that need answers:

Just how safe are these batteries? According to the Electric Power Research Institute, there has been virtually no long-term safety testing of large-scale BESS installations. Without reliable testing, all safety claims supporting the application are suspect.

How long will the batteries last? Twenty years has been floated as a ballpark figure. But weather conditions cut battery life. High-volume usage, to help New York reach its storage goals, significantly reduces operating life. Based on data from similar sites, a more realistic operating life would be eight years or less, depending on the volume of charging and discharging cycles. This reduced operating life significantly cuts return on investment and makes the chimera of consumer savings more elusive.

What happens when BESS batteries wear out? Decommissioning lithium batteries is a very expensive, potentially dangerous procedure.

Decommissioning costs for batteries in a 100mWh facility is estimated by the EPRI to be $9,150,000. Serious explosions and fires have occurred during removal and transportation. Battery residue remains toxic and must be adequately contained and monitored for up to 100 years.

Will an adequate escrow be provided for removal, recycling and replacement? Of the many Canal BESS shell companies, which one is responsible for what?

These questions, and scores more, are subordinate to the ultimate question: Where to safely site these explosive, industrial-scale battery storage facilities? Yet the common sense answer has been evident from day one. BESS industrial facilities belong only in industrial zones, not in residential communities, where they are a well-documented danger to lives and property.

Bill Muir

Hampton Bays