Before the start of the second public hearing during the Town of Oyster Bay’s meeting on April 8, Town Supervisor Joe Saladino looked out at the crowd in Town Hall North and said “please put your hand up if you are here in support of the continuation of the moratorium.”
All but two hands rose to the air in response to the question.
Several residents from Roslyn, Glen Head, Sea Cliff, and other communities across the North Shore of Long Island raised a bevy of concerns about proposed lithium battery plants on Long Island. They also lamented the Propel NY Energy project and the Renewable Action Through Project Interconnection and Deployment Act.
Despite the frustrations expressed by residents about the Propel NY project and the RAPID act, the topic of the public hearing during the April board meeting was specifically about the extension of the moratorium on its battery energy storage system, nearly one year after the approval of the town’s first moratorium.
The moratorium is set to expire at the end of April, and the board will vote in May on whether or not to extend the moratorium. It will remain in effect in between it’s expiration and the May vote.
Michael Montesano, the town attorney’s office's special counsel, told the board that there would be no changes to the current moratorium, which states that no land use applications for battery energy storage systems shall be approved or processed during the period.
Montesano added that they were in “essentially the same condition” as it was a year ago, with no update from the state on how to maintain the battery storage systems or fight potential fires from it.
The moratorium was originally enacted in February 2024, effective April of last year. It was extended for another
six months in October of 2024, which aimed to give the town additional time to assess the potential risks posed by these facilities, particularly fire hazards and environmental impacts, before making any long-term decisions.
The proposed Oyster Shore Energy Project by Jupiter Power, a 275-megawatt battery energy storage system, at the site of the current Global Energy facility on the corner of Glenwood Road and Shore Road has drawn substantial pushback from
Glenwood Landing and Glen Head residents; who expressed serious concerns about safety, environmental impact, and the project’s proximity to homes, schools, and Hempstead Harbor.
Proponents of Battery Energy Storage Systems highlight their ability to reinforce the power grid, improve grid stability, and facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources while also offering backup power and potentially reducing costs for consumers.
Ralph Raymond, the second vice president for the Association of Fire Districts for the State of New York and commissioner of the North Massapequa Fire District, spoke to the board about some of the concerns that fire departments throughout Long Island had about fighting potential fires at BESS factories as well as showing his support for an extension of the moratorium.
“I have to be perfectly honest here for public safety reasons we would really like this extended for another six months” he said.
No representatives from Jupiter Power, a private equity-owned company, spoke during the public comment. Champe Fisher, a representative from the Bethpage Battery Storage Project, which has proposed a one-acre, 44-megawatt facility at the old Grumman site, made the only public comment against the moratorium extension.
“We would like the board to know that we are still interested in pursuing our project at the appropriate time,” he said.
Over 30 residents spoke during the public comment. Several Glen Head residents said that the thought of having a BESS in their neighborhood was “terrifying” and numerous residents wanted the board to consider implementing an even longer moratorium or a ban.
Speakers pointed out examples such as the Moss Landing energy storage facility fire that happened at the beginning of the year.
North Shore School District Superintendent Chris Zublionis spoke in favor of extending the moratorium. “The school district has significant safety concerns related to BESS,” Zublionis said, “including the ability to put out lithium fires and the individual and cumulative impact on the community.”
North Shore Board of Education Trustee Lisa Cashman also attended the hearing and spoke. However, she did not speak as a trustee but spoke as Associate Director of the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor. She asked several questions to the board while also maintaining her support for continuing the moratorium, citing environmental concerns and safety issues.
During the
Feb. 27 North Shore Board of Education meeting, nearly a dozen residents spoke during the public comment portion of the evening, urging the district to take action to maintain the moratorium. Many of the same residents also spoke during the town’s public comment.
One of those speakers was Glen Head resident Chris Panzeca, who repeated her claims that the BESS systems were “toxic noxious ticking time bombs” and that they “don’t belong anywhere near residential communities.” She also echoed many of the environmental concerns that residents raised during the hearing.
Edward Lieberman, the former mayor of Sea Cliff, who sat at the front during the majority of the hearing said he did not plan on speaking; but after being called on by Saladino, he approached the board and decided to add a comment.
“If I can’t get on a plane carrying a lithium battery, then that says it all,” Lieberman said as the meeting neared its end.
