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File photo by Raymond Janis

BESS systems still in dispute 

A meeting was recently held at the Sterling Woods condominium in Port Jefferson Station to discuss the impending proposal for an 8.75-MW lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). According to the New Leaf Energy Senior Director of Business Development, this 8.75-MW BESS “can power 8,500 single-family homes for 4 hours.”

This raises a very interesting question: what is the meaning of the phrase “power a home?” Does this imply that all (100%) of the power used in the home will be provided?

New Leaf Energy presents a plan for a 8.75-megawatt project on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

Or will the BESS provide only a small percentage, e.g., 20%, of the total power required by each home? If the BESS provides 8.75 MW of power to 8,500 homes for 4 hours, the average power delivered to each home is 1,029 W. For a typical home in Port Jefferson Station, surely a more realistic measure of the required power consumption would be about 5,000 W, rather than 1,029 W. Thus, for this case, the BESS will be providing approximately 20.9% of the required power, and not 100%.

Clearly, the remaining 79.1%, which is 3,971 W, will need to be provided from some other (unspecified) source, if 8,500 homes are to be fully powered with 5,000 W each. Realistically, a single 8.75-MW BESS might be able to provide 5,000 W of power for 4 hours to each of 1,750 (rather than 8,500) homes. Alternatively, a total of 5 BESS units could be configured to fully power 8,500 homes. 

Another subject of discussion at the meeting was the hot topic of thermal runaway in the lithium-ion battery cells. This was said to be “caused when the cells are interfered with or abused and are unable to regulate normally,” While this is correct, it should also be mentioned that “abuse” does not necessarily have to be mechanically induced, but can also originate as a malfunction in the electronic control circuitry, including the charging and cell balancing circuits, and the software that controls them. This can lead to unintentional overcharging of one or more cells, which can lead directly to thermal runaway.

George Altemose

Setauket

Read more about the topic here or visit https://tbrnewsmedia.com/port-jefferson-station-residents-question-battery-storage-proposal-at-sterling-woods-meeting/

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New Leaf Energy presents a plan for a 8.75-megawatt project on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
New Leaf Energy presents a plan for a 8.75-megawatt project on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Sabrina Artusa
New Leaf Energy presents a plan for a 8.75-megawatt project on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa

At the Sterling Woods Condominium annual meeting on Feb. 20, New Leaf Energy Senior Director of Business Development Michael Conway spoke to the residents, whose condominiums neighbor the proposed site at 1575 Route 25A in Port Jefferson Station. 

This proposal comes after the Town of Brookhaven rejected a rezoning application by New Leaf Energy in June 2024. 

Now, New Leaf Energy, a renewable energy developer, is planning an 8.75-megawatt battery energy storage system in an area with the appropriate light industrial zoning. The system would occupy 22,142 square feet and can power 8,500 single-family homes for 4 hours. 

Conway, joined by Energy Safety Response Group co-founder Paul Rogers, reviewed the site plan, which neighbors a gas station. The property will be encompassed by a 10-foot-tall fence and vegetative screening and will include a 50-ft setback. 

“Dense places are the most difficult places to get electricity to,” Conway said, addressing the location. “We need to have electricity whether it comes through a fossil plant, or it comes in through a solar plant, or it comes in through transmission lines. Energy storage systems are an efficient way to deliver more electricity to an area without building more poles and wires all over the place and more power plants.”

One resident said, “I don’t think we disagree with technology. I don’t think anyone does. We have to look forward. But where are you putting it? There is no benefit to be putting this here, absolutely none. Basically, you want us to be a test case for your business.” 

New Leaf Energy will be working with manufacturers to develop the system and will then sell the BESS. Defined as a business that “establishes important partnerships with landowners, utilities and local communities to brainstorm, secure, design and permit community and utility-scale renewable energy,” New Leaf Energy essentially works to give the project momentum and get it approved before then selling to another company for around $3 million to $4 million.  

“Our business model is to transfer ownership to a long-term asset owner just prior to construction,” Conway said. It usually takes 6-8 months to find a buyer. The buyer will then be responsible for the safety and operation of the system, including the battery monitoring system. 

The oldest BESS New Leaf Energy has created was built in 2018. The largest is 200 megawatts. 

This system will help manage the grid during peak hours and potentially save PSEG from having to purchase additional equipment. The BESS will be privately owned so will not, in theory, be the direct cause of rate increases from PSEG. Instead, the system will store energy in times of low demand and sell it back during high-demand times. 

Rogers, who has been a prominent figure in the battery energy storage conversation throughout Brookhaven, says that manufacturers are required to permit large-scale controlled failures on their equipment. This could mean burning cells or, in some cases, modules. 

Rogers said that thermal runaway is caused when the cells are interfered with or abused and are unable to regulate normally, thus causing the liquid within the cells to turn to gas. For instance, if a container is not sealed properly when it is raining, the water could cause electrical problems. 

Rogers, who has helped implement and navigate the various safety codes, said that the BESS has to be listed under Underwriters Laboratories UL9540, which authorizes that the equipment is up to standard, and must adhere to precautions listed in the National Fire Protection Association codebook as well as New York State codes. 

The Moss Landing fire, which burned for days and led to the evacuation of residents, was described by Brookhaven Councilman Jonathan Kornreich (D, Stony Brook) as “sobering.” The old and outdated system consisted of nickel manganese cobalt batteries as opposed to lithium iron phosphate, which is less energy dense, and was situated in a designated-use building.

Rogers said of the 750-megawatt system, “we would never use that technology today.” 

“This is fairly new technology,” said Kornreich. “It is almost as if the car had been invented and they said oh this is a great way to make deliveries and drive around town but they haven’t invented the brake pedal yet…we don’t know yet and that is why we have to go slow with these things.”

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Civic association swears in at the June 3 meeting. Photo by Aidan Johnson

By Aidan Johnson

Dozens of residents attended the Mount Sinai Civic Association meeting June 3 to voice their safety concerns over a potential new battery energy storage system facility locally.

The facility, proposed by New Leaf Energy, would have a 20-year lifespan, after which the site would need to be restored to its pre-project condition.

The proposed area is adjacent to Mount Sinai-Coram Road and Route 25A on property owned by real estate agent Ray Manzoni. However, because this property is zoned as transitional business, New Leaf Energy’s application proposes the zone be changed to light industrial.

Former county Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai), who has been a vocal critic of the proposal, and Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico (R) also attended. While speaking, Panico addressed misinformation on social media that incorrectly told Mount Sinai residents that “the people in either Holbrook or Holtsville fought the battery storage there, and what they’re not getting is coming to Mount Sinai.”

Anker voiced common worries that residents had about the storage system facility.

“We just want to understand that what is going to happen is safe,” Anker said. “I don’t have a problem with renewable energy. We need the battery storage, we’re going to need that, but it’s the location,” she added, calling the proposed site the “worst intersection probably in Suffolk County.”

“Multiple accidents have happened there, the school district is close by, the water authority has a well right there, there’s a recreational path. There’s so many reasons we don’t need to change commercial to industrial,” she said.

Civic President Brad Arrington also discussed how LIPA, which owns an empty parcel of land next to the substation, could theoretically put a battery facility there without any input from the town government due to being immune from the local zoning authority.

“They could put a battery facility there which would carry the same risk that people are concerned about today, the difference being that when LIPA puts that in, they do not have to provide any community benefit, which is what has been proposed with this property,” Arrington said.

New Leaf is proposing an initial upfront payment of $340,000 — $85,000 per battery installation — with the allocation of this money to the school district, fire department and more not yet determined. The company also originally reserved $500 per megawatt, for a total of $10,000 annually, but raised it to $12,000 with a 2% annual increase to cover the current property taxes going to the school district.

Residents expressed concerns about what would happen if there was a fire at the facility, inquiring about the chemicals that would be emitted into the air and ground and how it would affect the surrounding area, including the school district and homes.

However, Arrington said the proposed facility would have lithium iron phosphate batteries, which “have a lower energy density, but have a far reduced rate of thermal runaway,” as opposed to the lithium NMC batteries that, while much more energy dense, are more prone to spontaneously catch on fire.

He also explained that a chain reaction would not take place, meaning that if thermal runaway does happen, it would be isolated in its own compartmentalized container.

Additionally, since the battery would have to burn itself out instead of being put out with water by the fire department, Arrington said that according to New Leaf, there wouldn’t be runoff into the ground. Also contamination with the soil and the off-gassing would be extremely limited.

Panico did not answer whether or not he supported the project, instead saying that he would review the application and talk to his colleagues, including Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point), who represents the area.

Arrington said the town board would not take a vote to approve the project without input from the civic, which will hold a meeting for the civic members to vote in October.

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File photo

By Sabrina Artusa

New Leaf Energy has proposed a new battery energy storage system facility in Mount Sinai — a proposal that necessitates a rezoning of the current property.

The increase in development of battery energy storage systems in the state is part of the effort to achieve the goal of the 2019 New York State Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which states that by 2030, 70% of electricity should be derived from renewable energy. 

The battery energy storage system will work to offset the lack of wind and solar power during off seasons by storing excess electricity throughout the year, then release electricity when demand dictates. 

The facility will be approximately 40,000 square feet and will consist of 24 Tesla Megapack 2XL containers, and will generate around 80 megawatt-hours, which could power 16,000 homes. The proposed site is adjacent to Mount Sinai‒Coram Road and Route 25A.

The proposal was met with opposition from the community, many of whom were concerned that the facility, which consists of four battery installations, would provide a safety risk to the nearby school. 

In March, the developer approached the Mount Sinai Civic Association with their plans. At the civic’s May 6 meeting, New Leaf Energy prepared a presentation and answered questions. The meeting, according to the association’s president Brad Arrington, lasted two-and-a-half hours. 

Arrington estimated that of those who attended, 70-80% were opposed. 

“I think most people are concerned about the safety around BESS. They are worried about proximity to lithium and they are worried about fires,” Arrington said. “People are rightly concerned about that.”

A petition against the development listed safety concerns as a major reason why the facility should not be approved. While fires are a reasonable concern, New Leaf Energy’s systems have several safety measures to ensure any fires stay contained. 

However, the property is not zoned as a residential area, but as transitional business. The application from New Leaf Energy proposes a change to light industrial. 

According to their presentation, toxic gases are not a risk and precautions have been taken to limit the likelihood of fires. The units are spread out, have a thermal management system and on-site and remote monitoring systems. 

The civic expanded the conversation to include Mount Sinai School District and Mount Sinai Fire Department. Arrington said that the fire department seems “satisfied with the information they were provided” and have not “expressed significant concerns around safety.”

New Leaf Energy, in a PowerPoint presentation available on the civic website, has indicated there will be a community benefit agreement “in place of school district PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes),” which is estimated at “approx. $10,000 per year per project.”

The civic association is still gathering information and has not yet formed an opinion on the proposal. Arrington said the vote will likely take place in the fall. 

“We really try to represent the interests of our community to our elected officials and provide meaningful and balanced opinions to our officials,” he said.

Operation of the facility is estimated for summer 2027 if approved. 

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Residents gather at the Heritage Center for a Mount Sinai Civic Association meeting. Photo courtesy Sarah Anker

By Sarah S. Anker

Over 100 residents gathered at the Heritage Center during a May 6 Mount Sinai Civic Association meeting to hear from New Leaf Energy, a battery storage company, about a proposed lithium-ion battery storage facility. 

According to the civic president, Brad Arrington, the plan to site the 20-megawatt battery storage system facility on a 1-acre parcel, located at the corner of Mount Sinai-Coram Road and Route 25A in Mount Sinai, has been in the works for seven years. Surprisingly, despite representing the area as a former Suffolk County legislator for the past 13 years, I only recently learned about this project.

Having facilitated the Green Homes and the Go Solar programs as the former director of Town of Brookhaven’s Office of Energy & Sustainability, I strongly support clean energy initiatives. However, I have concerns about the proposed location of this facility. Placing it on a 1-acre parcel with no buffers, near one of the county’s most accident-prone intersections, raises red flags. Additionally, the site is close to residential neighborhoods, a public walking path, an SCWA drinking water well and Mount Sinai schools.

I would have no problem if the siting were in an area that, if the units were to catch on fire, there would be less exposure to the highly toxic fumes emitted. After the East Hampton battery storage facility caught on fire, several towns — including Southampton, Southold and Huntington — moved forward with moratoriums. It is only common sense that more scrutiny be done to address the safety of these facilities and where they are placed. 

Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has created the Inter-Agency Fire Safety Working Group to review the issue of battery storage systems safety. As the working group investigates the fires that have occurred at three New York locations, a moratorium is needed in Brookhaven to ensure the safety of its residents. 

Over 20 years ago, a Home Depot was proposed to be built on the site that is now Mount Sinai’s centerpiece, the North Shore Heritage Park. We fought hard to create the park by collecting petitions, writing letters to our elected officials, wrapping green ribbons around our mailboxes and rallying our community together. Can you image if no one cared back then, and a Home Depot was built? Eighteen-wheeler trucks would snarl traffic, the green rolling hills would be black pavement and the memories of community concerts, holiday events, sports games and the springtime daffodil smiling face on the hill would be lost. 

Just as location, location, location is what the realtors say when emphasizing the value of real estate, let’s also consider the location of this project and the value we place on public safety and quality of life. Do we really want an industrial parcel located in the heart of our hometown? The project cannot move forward until the Town Board votes to change the zoning to light industrial. I encourage residents to attend upcoming Town Board meetings and provide input before a decision is made. Government is here for you when they hear from you. 

Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) is a District 1 candidate for the New York State Senate and was formerly a Suffolk County legislator.  

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