Administrator Lee Zeldin Hosts Press Conference with Long Island Residents Concerned about Safety and Siting Related to New York’s Push for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)

 Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin held a press conference in Hauppauge, New York, with Long Islanders who have been extremely vocal in raising concerns over New York’s push to put Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in their communities. The State has been working to expedite approvals of installations of these systems in densely populated areas, especially in New York City and its suburbs. 

BESS is designed to bolster grid reliability by providing steady power flow despite fluctuations from renewable energy and other sources. However, lithium battery fires at various installations across the country have raised legitimate safety concerns from communities nationwide, especially in metropolitan areas.

In New York, 6,000 storage projects have been interconnected to the state’s electric grid since 2019, creating about 440 megawatts of storage capacity, with an additional 1.3 gigawatts under contract. New York’s current goal is to reach six gigawatts by 2030.

In support of developing this infrastructure, New York State most recently enacted the Renewable Action through Project Interconnection and Deployment (RAPID) Act as part of the fiscal year 2025 state budget. The RAPID Act and its predecessor, the Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act, dramatically expanded state power to override local opposition for major renewable projects, including battery storage facilities of 25 MW or larger — even when communities raise safety concerns.

“Many New Yorkers, especially in New York City and on Long Island, have made their voices clear – they do not want Battery Energy Storage Systems built in their neighborhoods. Residents are looking across the country where dangerous lithium battery fires at BESS facilities have caused widespread damage, and they are concerned with New York’s partisan push to fill yet another delusional ‘green’ goal, which the state itself admits it cannot meet. The state that banned the safe extraction of natural gas, gas hook-ups on new construction, and gas stoves, while aiming to end the sale of gas-powered vehicles, continues to put the safety and well-being of New Yorkers second to their climate change agenda. The Trump EPA will always listen to the American people. We support local communities to have a say on whether or not they would like BESS facilities to be built in their neighborhoods. At the very least, we want to provide all of the information we know on BESS to utilities, first responders, permitting bodies and any member of the public who wants to get better educated on this critical issue,” said Administrator Zeldin. 

Multiple fires at BESS locations have caught national attention in recent months. On May 15, 2024, a fire involving nearly 15,000 lithium batteries burned for almost two weeks with periodic flare ups. In January of this year, in Moss Landing, California, a Vistra Energy BESS fire burned for days, requiring EPA air monitoring for hydrogen fluoride, which is a high toxic gas produced by lithium battery fires.  

Further, recent wildfire responses, like in Los Angeles, California, and Maui, Hawaii, have revealed lithium batteries as among the most dangerous cleanup challenges. Their potential for spontaneous reignition and explosion after fires are extinguished can create dangerous environments for first responders and others working on emergency response sites. 

Given its expertise, EPA is the only federal agency with standardized procedures for safely deactivating and disposing of lithium batteries after incidents. While local fire departments struggle with these complex fires, EPA has developed specialized protocols through responses to major incidents nationwide. The Agency’s new BESS safety guidance represents the first comprehensive federal resource addressing the complete project lifecycle—from siting through emergency response. 

Learn more about Battery Energy Storage Systems (pdf).