Letters

Will the NIMBYism never end? I am disappointed that, once again, a crucial component of the Town of Southampton’s clean energy future was derailed by local fears [“Battery Storage Moratorium Extended, Exemption for Hampton Bays Project Panned,” 27east.com, July 24].

When people thwart the siting of battery storage, they are ignoring what the resulting delay means: wasting the clean energy Long Island is producing from solar and offshore wind when it cannot be stored, resulting in more energy needed from fossil fuels, whose greenhouse gases are catastrophically heating the planet. July 21 was the hottest day in recorded human history.

For decades we have accepted the risks that come with fossil fuels: when we drive a car, when we operate a gas stove, when we breathe air polluted by power plants, cars and trucks. But opponents of the Hampton Bays BESS project ignore those systemic and existential risks, doubling down on their fears of local battery storage, even though the risks are demonstrably manageable.

By delaying or potentially derailing battery storage facilities, Southampton is also shooting itself in the foot economically. Clean energy, including BESS facilities, brings investment and jobs.

Governor Kathy Hochul has fallen down on her climate commitments lately — shelving congestion pricing, failing to support the NY HEAT Act — but she has committed to a robust plan for building battery energy storage systems statewide. I hope that local opposition, as recently demonstrated in Southampton, does not continue to derail my kids’ chances for a healthy and livable future on the East End.

Kathleen Boziwick

Sag Harbor