Huntington Town weighs moratorium on battery energy storage system facilities

Huntington officials will consider a moratorium on approving  applications for battery energy storage system facilities in the town — possibly joining other Long Island municipalities that recently have taken that step.

A public hearing will be held at 7 p.m. on Sept. 12 at Town Hall to gather input on a potential six-month pause on any projects because of concerns that lithium-ion batteries can spontaneously explode and catch fire, officials said.

There currently are no proposals pending for such storage facilities in Huntington, according to the town.

Earlier this month, Southampton officials voted in a six-month moratorium on considering such projects in that town, freezing a pending application.

Earlier this year, Southold Town approved a 12-month moratorium on applications while a task force works on making recommendations to local legislators.

The Town of Riverhead in April approved legislation to allow battery energy storage facilities in certain zoning districts.

Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable, storing power from different energy sources like the wind and sun for future use. But the devices can face a failure known as "thermal runaway" when they generate more heat than can be dissipated, leading to extremely high temperatures, smoke and fire, according to UL Research Institutes.

In July, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the creation of an Inter-Agency Fire Safety Working Group after three fires at battery storage facilities, including one in East Hampton. State agencies will inspect storage sites across New York and make sure first responders have the training and information they need to prepare and deploy resources in case of a fire.

Huntington Town Board member Sal Ferro, who is sponsoring the resolution for a moratorium, said town first responders recently raised concerns about the challenges of fighting fires at battery energy storage facilities.

“We need to find out, what are the best practices out there when it comes to them?” Ferro said. “What are the safest locations? Should we only put them in industrial areas? How should they be built?”

Ferro said a moratorium would allow time to get answers. Currently, Huntington has no town code that applies to battery energy storage systems, officials said.

Ferro said he's aware of actions by other towns and is open to seeing if the paths of those municipalities also could work in Huntington.

East Northport resident Mark Sertoff, a retired science and technology teacher, said he is concerned about the potential danger of such facilities because lithium-ion battery fires create unsafe conditions for residents and the environment — including affecting drinking water and air quality.

“I think the town considering a moratorium is a good, deliberate plan of action,” Sertoff said. “Get more information — because the repercussions could be disastrous.”