Jupiter Power decides to halt planned battery storage facility in Glenwood Landing

Jupiter Power on Friday confirmed that it has decided to halt development of a large battery storage plant it planned for the waterfront in Glenwood Landing, a move that drew cheers from community groups that fought it.

The company cited "no viable permit path for the project" given the many government approvals needed. The 275-megawatt Oyster Shore project, among the largest planned in the state, would have replaced an existing petroleum facility at the property with scores of containers packed with lithium-ion batteries.

In a statement, Hans Detweiler, senior director of development for Jupiter, said the decision followed a recent evaluation of its projects across the country. He did not mention recently proposed tax credit reductions in a spending bill moving through the U.S. Congress that could hobble the economics of many green-energy projects.

Jupiter "has decided to end development of the Oyster Shore project," Detweiler said, adding the company was "of course disappointed with the outcome."

Oyster Shore is one of dozens of battery storage plants planned for Long Island and across the state as part of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s vision for a carbon-free energy grid by 2040. On Long Island, Hochul’s plan has been met with widespread opposition, including moratoriums on development in most towns, primarily due to concerns about fires at existing facilities.

Earlier this year, one of the country’s largest battery-energy storage plants, in Monterey, California, experienced a massive fire that led local officials there to freeze approvals for the plants after environmental impacts were detected in the aftermath. In 2023, a fire consumed a smaller battery plant in East Hampton, one that burned for 30 hours and required more than a year to rebuild.

On the North Shore, where community and civic groups doggedly fought the Oyster Shore project, George Pombar, president of the Glen Head-Glenwood Civic Council, on Friday said, "We’re dancing in the streets."

"We’re really excited about it," he said of the plant’s demise. "This is great news for our community."

But he said he’s not letting his guard down. "I’m talking to the Town of Oyster Bay to see what we can do to stop this going forward," he said, referring to any possible replacement project for the waterfront land.

Jupiter Power, Detweiler said in his statement, "will refocus development efforts elsewhere." He offered thanks to the site owner and the "many neighbors, individuals, and organizations in the community who sought a fair hearing for the many benefits and development circumstances related to the project."

U.S. Rep Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) said he believed project developers were "unable to sell [the project] effectively and educate people of the long-term [benefits] of battery storage." He also noted that residents were "well-organized to stop something they didn’t want in their backyards."

But Trump administration attacks on the tax credits that fund the batteries and other green energy projects may have been the deeper death knell.

Suozzi said those policies, many baked into a recent House-approved tax bill, "will make these projects less attractive economically." He said Democrats and Republicans, residents and developers "all need to work together to figure out a long-term strategy that will result in a cleaner environment, less expensive utility costs and safe neighborhoods."

By Mark Harrington

mark.harrington@newsday.comMHarringtonNews

Mark Harrington, a Newsday reporter since 1999, covers energy, wineries, Indian affairs and fisheries.