Governor Hochul’s Green Energy Plans Face Community Resistance

By: Hal C Clarke

Governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious vision to transition New York to green energy is encountering significant resistance, as communities across the state refuse to allow the construction of large-scale battery storage facilities designed to store wind and solar energy.

According to the New York Post, opposition to these facilities is growing, with some local governments outright banning their development.

One of the most striking examples comes from Duanesburg, where New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) President and CEO Doreen Harris resides. In a recent move, the town voted to prohibit Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facilities, citing potential risks to public safety and property. As NY Post reports, officials were particularly concerned about the town’s reliance on volunteer firefighters and its lack of access to public water, which could exacerbate fire hazards posed by lithium-ion battery storage systems.

This resistance is not isolated. Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella has been vocal in his opposition, noting that over a dozen battery storage facilities are planned for the borough. He reiterated his stance, originally taken nearly two years ago, supporting a moratorium on BESS facilities.

“They are being placed literally right next door to people’s homes, and even next to a gas station,” Fossella told the New York Post. “The city is playing with fire by allowing this type of reckless policy to continue.”

Governor Hochul’s renewable energy agenda is tied to New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019, which mandates a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and a fully carbon-free electricity grid by 2040. Battery storage systems are considered crucial to achieving these targets by stabilizing the grid and storing excess renewable energy. However, increasing opposition from communities is threatening to slow progress.

In Putnam County, the town of Carmel voted in October to ban lithium battery storage systems. Meanwhile, a proposed 116-megawatt battery storage facility on the border of Westchester and Putnam counties has sparked widespread objections from residents, according to the New York Post.

Ironically, the proposed battery site is near the former Indian Point nuclear power plant, which was shut down in 2020 over safety concerns. Some residents now argue that the nuclear plant was a safer option compared to lithium-ion storage.

“This is the greatest BS story told to the public,” said Roland Ciafone, a Somers resident and former maintenance supervisor at Indian Point. “Indian Point was the safest thing since apple pie.”

Public concerns have been heightened following recent incidents involving battery storage facilities. A fire at one of the world’s largest lithium-ion battery storage plants in Monterey County, California, forced the evacuation of 1,500 residents. Scientists later found elevated concentrations of heavy metals in nearby soil, raising further safety questions about the technology.

“This technology is ahead of government’s ability to regulate it and industry’s ability to control it,” Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church told the New York Post. “This process we are now in, which is learning as we go, just doesn’t work. It jeopardizes communities.”

With the debate intensifying, Governor Hochul’s administration faces mounting pressure to reassess its approach to energy storage while balancing the state’s clean energy goals with the concerns of local residents. While NYSERDA and its leadership have not publicly commented on the backlash, their mission remains to promote renewable energy, energy efficiency, and emissions reduction across New York.