By Dan Murphy
In a victory for Northern Westchester and Putnam County residents, East Point Energy has withdrawn its plans to build a 95-acre 116 Megawatt Battery Plant. The Union Energy Center project was to have been built on a 95-acre lot off Miller and Union Valley Roads on the Somers-Mahopac border.
In an email to the Carmel Town Board dated March 11, Will Frost, Senior Project Developer for the Union Energy project, writes, “It is with regret that I formally request the removal of the Union Energy Center from consideration within any town approval process.”
Opposition to the plan was formed shortly after it became public. A group called “Stop Lithium Battery Storage Systems in Westchester/Putnam” successfully lobbied against the project by attending meetings, standing with signs along Route 6, engaging in social media activity, and raising funds to pay for an attorney.
This resulted in elected officials, including Assemblyman Matt Slater, Congressman Mike Lawler, and others, joining the effort.
Building a BEES Battery Energy Storage System across New York State is popular and worthy of discussion and implementation, especially since residents are outraged over the recent increases to their Con Ed and NYSEG bills.
The concept behind a BEES is to store electricity in batteries collected during off-peak hours and then use it during peak usage. Companies like East Coast want to buy the energy off-peak and sell it back during peak hours. The goal is to make the grid cleaner, more reliable, resilient, and affordable. This battery farm would be connected to NYSEG.
This location was chosen because it is next to an NYSEG substation and transmission lines. However, the idea of building such a large facility this close to residential neighborhoods was not thought out, careless, and dangerous.
According to NYSERDA, this project would have been 5 times larger than any other BEES.
Many local governments in Westchester and Putnam have imposed moratoriums on BEES or restricted the size of the battery plants.
The Town of Somers Board and Supervisor opposed the project; The Town of Carmel Board imposed a moratorium, and the Town of Yorktown is moving forward with a proposed ban.
Stop Lithium Battery Storage Systems in Westchester/Putnam and its members applauded their victory but warned about what was coming next. Kevin O’Keefe said the state is “trying to force these renewable energy projects down our throats.”
This project would have been 116 Megawatts. There are currently three other battery storage facilities in New York State. In Warwick, Lyme, and East Hampton. According to published reports, there have been fires at all three facilities. The battery size at the Mahopac location, 116 Megawatts, is 20 times larger than the East Hampton (5 Megawatts) and 10 times larger than Warwick (12 Megawatts). Another comparison is the 1 World Trade Center’s backup generator uses 8 megawatts of total power.
What is troubling to some is the lack of public notification of a project of this size and its impact on the community. East Coast went to the Carmel Town Board in September 2023, but public awareness did not begin until February 2024, when residents from Mahopac in Putnam County and Somers in Westchester County became aware of the project and began to inform the public.
Mahopac resident Lauren Rosolen, whose property sits next to the proposed battery plant, told us last year, “The company is out there making it seem that this is best for the community, but it doesn’t benefit the community in the least. The energy stored would not be provided to us. To say that it’s beneficial to us is insanity. The more we look into this, the more we find an attempt to get it done before the community was aware of it.
“At this point, how do you fight a multi-million-dollar corporation? They are waiting for us to go away. But you can’t put this size of a project in the middle of a residential community.”
O’Keefe said last year, “We have to focus on the facts and why the placement of this 116-megawatt facility is the wrong place. If you put this out in the desert somewhere, that’s okay. But not this close to a residential community.”
In January, County Executive Ken Jenkins introduced a proposed notification law that would enhance the oversight and safety of non-residential Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in Westchester.
The proposed legislation establishes clear notification requirements for municipalities regarding new installations or modifications to existing systems. This ensures that the County maintains up-to-date records and can better coordinate planning and safety efforts.
The new law would:
· Prevent tragedies by enhancing safety for residents and first responders;
· Improve communication between the County and municipalities;
· Ensure the County has up-to-date records of any new BESS installations or modifications to existing systems.
· Better coordinate planning and safety efforts.
Jenkins said, ” The bottom line is we all need to be on the same page. This legislation underscores Westchester County’s commitment to balancing the expansion of renewable energy infrastructure with the highest safety and planning standards. By instituting these notification requirements, we aim to ensure that battery energy storage systems are responsibly integrated into our communities while safeguarding residents and first responders.”
Deputy County Executive Richard G. Wishnie, a former DES commissioner, said, “While these alternative power systems can provide environmentally friendly and economically positive power supplies when they fail, they can cause explosive fires that have proven to be extremely difficult to extinguish while giving off dangerous gases. Knowing where these systems are located, first responders, if dispatched to a BESS location, will know in advance what precautions they need to protect themselves and residents in the area.”
BESS technology utilizes a battery array to collect and store energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar. The batteries store that energy until it is released into the power supply at peak demand or during a power outage.
Under the proposed law, municipalities would be required to:
Notify the County Emergency Services Commissioner (or designee) within 30 days of learning about any existing Battery Energy Storage Systems;
Provide written notice within 30 days of approving plans for new installations or modifications to existing systems, including issuing building, electrical, or special use permits.
The legislation would require the approval of the Westchester County Board of Legislators.
The Westchester County Board of Legislators will hold a Public Hearing on Monday, March 24, on this matter.
The Business Council of Westchester (BCW) will host the Clean Energy Action Conference: Powering Change Together on March 24, marking a significant step in the inaugural year of the Clean Energy Action Coalition (CEAC).
The event assembles industry leaders, policymakers, and community stakeholders to accelerate clean energy adoption across Westchester County as an effective means to address skyrocketing energy prices, increasing electricity demand, and the resiliency needed in the face of extreme weather challenges and climate disruption.
The event will be held at the Crotonville Conference Center, 1 Old Albany Post Road, Ossining. For more information, please visit the conference registration page.
In Putnam, the battery plant is a key issue in the race for Carmel Town Supervisor. Candidate Frank Ciano says that the current Supervisor, Mike Cazzari, did not alert residents soon enough about the battery plant.
“I’ve been encouraging our community to get involved in Town Board meetings, and I truly believe that with your help, we can bring about real change, especially under new leadership. I’ve been there, and I’m ready to lead. Let’s make a difference together! This is why I’m running for town supervisor. The people know I helped stop this thing. Enough is enough.”
East Point Energy is a subsidiary of Equinor, a Norwegian-owned company.
