Big Win For BCW’s Clean Energy Action Coalition–Which Urged Approval of the Battery Storage Facility & Passage of the Zoning Law Change
In a significant victory for proponents of clean energy, the Village of Tarrytown Planning Board issued final site plan approval for the Catalyze the 5 Megawatt (MW) Battery Energy facility on September 25th. This approval follows the Village Board of Trustees unanimous vote on July 21 for a zoning law change to allow Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in the Village.
It is also a big win for the Business Council of Westchester’s (BCW) Clean Energy Action Coalition (CEAC), which urged the Tarrytown Village Board to immediately adopt a local law permitting Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).
CEAC Program Director Ron Kamen appeared before the Tarrytown Village Board on July 21 in support of Local Law 03-2025, which amended the Village’s zoning code to permit BESS and paved the way for Catalyze’s 5 MW BESS facility at 120 White Plains Road.
Speaking at the Village Board Meeting held July 21, Kamen said the Catalyze project and zoning law amendment would help secure clean energy for Tarrytown’s residents and businesses. “It helps reduce energy costs, improves grid reliability and resilience, and makes the village a leader in our clean energy future. Let us work together to bring safe, sustainable, cost-effective energy solutions to our community and be part of the solution.”
Kamen highlighted the urgent need for BESS, citing warnings from the New York Independent System Operator about impending electric capacity shortages and increased power outages due to extreme weather. “New York’s electric system is reaching critical capacity shortages, which will result in blackouts and brownouts,” said Kamen.
Kamen praised the Village Trustees, Planning Board, Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council, Sustainable Westchester, Catalyze staff and local residents for collaborating on the proposal and creating a path forward that will allow the Catalyze BESS facility to provide crucial support to the local grid, enhancing resiliency and helping to prevent future power disruptions. Beyond reliability, the project promises substantial economic and environmental advantages. “This is the type of working relationship we need to build the new, safe, renewable energy infrastructure,” Kamen said,
Kamen emphasized that the BESS enables Tarrytown residents and businesses to significantly reduce electricity rates by storing energy during off-peak hours and deploying it during expensive peak demand. He said this initiative also targets the reduction of harmful emissions from peaker plants, which currently contribute up to 94 percent of the state’s nitrogen oxide (Nox) emissions on high-ozone days. A peaker plant is a fossil-fuel-based power plant that operates primarily during periods of high electricity demand, and Nox can irritate the respiratory system, causing coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. Long-term exposure can lead to more serious respiratory and cardiovascular problems.
Kamen said the Catalyze BESS facility will spur economic growth, create new jobs, and increase local tax revenues. Catalyze has also committed to a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes agreement and annual firefighter training, demonstrating a collaborative approach to safe, renewable energy infrastructure.
CEAC includes representatives from clean energy providers, real estate developers, land use attorneys, professional planners, engineers and landscape architects, financiers, government agencies and authorities, heating fuel providers, and nonprofits. CEAC’s mission is to accelerate clean energy adoption through standardized and streamlined municipal approval processes.
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