Smithtown weighs moratorium on battery energy storage systems

Smithtown is the latest Long Island municipality to weigh a moratorium on new battery storage facilities, joining a heated policy debate in the region.

Town officials are mulling a six-month moratorium so local firefighters can study safe ways to contain fires caused by lithium-ion batteries.

The debate over battery storage facilities has raged in recent years. Proponents say battery power is a clean and renewable energy source that's needed to boost green energy production. The batteries work by storing wind and solar energy and kick in at peak times.

But several Long Island communities have been debating their use after a storage facility in East Hampton caught fire in May 2023. It took 30 hours to contain.

While some towns are adopting moratoriums, Brookhaven officials are encouraging the addition of new storage facilities.

"You cannot support alternative energy like wind power without supporting battery energy storage systems," Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico, a Republican, said in an interview.

But Timothy Duckham, chief of the Smithtown Fire Department, said firefighters need more time to study the issue. "We’re not looking to ban these systems, we’re looking for a pause until we can learn more about these storage systems and allow the department to be equipped and trained on these lithium-ion battery fires," Duckham said.

Here are three things to know about the battery storage system debate across Long Island.

Why is Smithtown considering a pause?

Janice Hansen, an assistant town attorney for Smithtown, said during a July 16 hearing on the issue there was a "significant amount of public concern" around lithium-ion batteries. Using land to store the batteries could "pose a threat to the health, safety and welfare of the public," she said.

The Smithtown Fire Chiefs Council requested the moratorium in a May letter to town officials. The council consists of all fire departments in Smithtown: Commack, Hauppauge, Kings Park, Nissequogue, Smithtown and Saint James.

Fire officials want to make sure the town’s various fire departments are properly educated, trained and equipped to handle the fires, said Duckham, who is also vice president of the fire council. Duckham said firefighters have been responding to battery fires from scooters and e-bikes, which use lithium-ion batteries.

Firefighters need time to learn the proper way to contain the fires. Dousing them with water can be dangerous because the fire could reignite, he said. 

"The information has been changing and the fires that have been seen [in town] on a small scale like scooters are happening more frequently, and the information and training on how to manage those fires has been evolving," Duckham said.

What other communities have adopted moratoriums or outright bans?

Southampton, Southold, Babylon and Huntington towns have moratoriums in place. In April, the Town of Oyster Bay approved a six-month moratorium on building new storage facilities.

Brookhaven has signaled broad support for battery storage facilities, said Panico, the Brookhaven Town Supervisor.

"Each application is different and needs to be evaluated," Panico said in an interview, adding "there is no move toward a moratorium by any member of the seven-member town board."

What safety reforms are under consideration?

In 2023, Gov. Kathy Hochul established the Inter-Agency Fire Safety Working Group to improve the way battery energy storage systems are maintained.

In February, the working group released 15 recommendations. The group called for new safety standards for battery energy storage systems and facilities, as well as an update to the state’s fire code.