BARKER — The Somerset town board is eyeing a moratorium on the development of renewable energy systems that utilize battery storage.
The board is currently weighing a 12-month halt to town processing of any applications for permits related to “utility grade” solar energy projects that have battery energy storage systems.
While the board did adopt a local law regulating such installations in 2022, town supervisor Jeff Dewart said the board is considering action on battery storage systems that other local municipalities, including the towns of Royalton and Wilson, took in the wake of a July 2023 incident in Lyme, Jefferson County, where four lithium battery storage trailers caught fire at a Convergent Energy solar installation.
“We have a law on the books and everything, but this is until they can tell us how… to put out the fires,” Dewart said. “If it catches on fire, there’s no answer, rhyme or reason for the fire department to try and put out a fire on them.”
In the interim, he said, “a few companies” have been soliciting the town to seek approval implementing renewable energy facilities that would utilize battery storage systems.
“(They’ve) got to follow our law, which is pretty tight,” Dewart said.
Over the 12-month period, town officials hope to get more clarity from New York State on how to safely contain a potential fire at such a facility.
“According to (Gov. Kathy) Hochul, they’ve got a committee working on coming up with actual ways of fighting the fires,” town board member Fred Leuer said.
The board will hold a public hearing on the proposed moratorium at its 6 p.m. Sept. 11 business meeting.