Battery storage site developers to meet face-to-face with Highland Falls residents about new project
The goals include making renewable electricity 70% of the power grid by 2030 and a zero-emission electric grid by 2040.
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A renewable energy company is looking to build a lithium-ion battery storage facility in a Highland Falls neighborhood, but is first trying to win over residents who have safety concerns brought on by recent events at another storage site in Warwick.
Twelve residents of the Sattelee Road neighborhood polled over two days told News 12 they oppose New Leaf Energy's preliminary plan to develop a five-megawatt (20-megawatt hour) battery storage site to supplement the local power supply and help meet the state's clean energy goals.
The goals include making renewable electricity 70% of the power grid by 2030 and a zero-emission electric grid by 2040.
Mario Giacoio is planning to attend Thursday's informational meeting at the Highland Falls Senior Center hosted by New Leaf Energy executives.
Giacoio likes the project, not the location.
"I just think it's in the wrong spot," he said. "This is a residential area. The houses are close [together]."
All neighbors of the proposed site who spoke with News 12 mentioned that recent fires at a battery storage site in Warwick have shaped their views on the facilities.
A facility next to Warwick Valley High School caught fire for the second time last month, emitting low levels of toxic chemicals into the air.
The storage site is owned by Convergent Energy and Power.
Warwick village officials condemned the site saying it did not meet updated safety requirements.
The project's senior developer Corina Solis told News 12 Tuesday its storage sites meet all safety standards and go through rigorous testing before being brought online.
The approval process could take several months and put New Leaf executives before several local boards.
Solis said New Leaf is working on more than 60 similar proposals with each encountering different challenges.
"There's a high need and a lot of different criteria each any given site has to go through," she said over the phone. "In reality, some projects are going to move faster than others. Some will encounter insurmountable obstacles."
One challenge New Leaf faces with the Highland Falls project is that the company will have to petition for a zoning variance to allow the project in a residential community.
The variance will be a tough ask for village leaders and neighbors of the site.
Solis will begin making case for the project at Thursday's meeting.
Speaking generally, she said there are several differences between the Warwick facility and the one proposed for Highland Falls.
"It's a matter of having a conversation about what that incident was compared to what we're proposing in our site," Solis said. "In every case, there's been a very clear distinction between what we're developing and what folks are seeing on the news."
Highland Falls Mayor Jim DiSalvo is seeking public input about the variance at all venues, including village meetings and New Leaf's meeting Thursday.
He said that if public input shows the site's neighbors oppose the project, it should weigh heavily into whether New Leaf receives an exception.
Any possibility of evacuations during the life of the proposed project are also at the front of the mayor's mind.
He said he would have to handle evacuations of up to 40 homes, "and then where would they go?"
"I understand what they're trying to do," DiSalvo said Tuesday in an interview at his village hall, "but I just think the technology needs to get better, especially if we're looking at it for a residential area."
New Leaf's informational meeting begins 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Highland Falls Senior Center, where project leaders and skeptical residents will discuss the project face to face.
