More And more, large arrays of lithium-ion batteries are being tilted around the US for electric grids, which can be discharged in high demand time.
But as more energy storage is added, residences of some places are pushing back due to apprehensions that the systems will go up in flames, as a massive convenience California Was done earlier this year.
Supporters say state -of -the -art batteries energy storage systems are safe, but more area sites are implemented.
“We are not a guinea boar for anyone … we are not going to take risks,” said the island park mayor Michael McGinty said, “We’re not going to take risks,” New yorkWhich passed through a stay in July after a storage system was proposed near the village line.
At least a few dozen local areas around the United States have temporarily blocked the development of large battery systems in recent years.
long IslandWhere the power grid can be boosted in the next few years because offshore wind farms come online, there is a hotband of activism, even recently attracted attention from the Trump administration. Opponents encouraged the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in August Li Zeldin To complain, he visited New York that the state “confusion” was increasing the approval of the sites to meet the green electric goals – a claim was denied by the state officials.
Battery growth boom
Battery energy storage systems that suck cheap power during the period of low demand, then discharge it at the benefit during the period of high demand, is considered important with the rise of intermittent energy sources such as air and solar.
The brief name is known by BESS, the system can make the grid more reliable and is credited with reducing blackouts. A large battery system may include rows of shipping containers in a fenced lot, with hundreds of thousands of cells in containers.
China and the United States lead the world to add rapid battery storage energy systems. However, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Australia, Netherlands, Chile, Canada and UK have manufactured or introduced on large projects since 2024, also, according to Bloombergenf’s research.
In the US, California and Texas have been leaders in battery storage. But other states are moving rapidly, often with privately developed systems. While the Trump administration has been unable for renewable energy or even hostile, the major tax credit for energy storage projects was maintained for qualified projects in the recently approved federal budget that start construction in the next eight years.
Developers added 4,908 MW battery storage capacity in the second quarter of 2025, accounting for about three-fourths of that new capacity with Arizona, California and Texas, according to a report by an industry group, American Clean Power Association. This is enough to provide electricity to about 1.7 million houses.
New York has an ambitious goal of adding 6,000 MW of energy storage by 2030, half of which are large -scale systems.
Lithium ion fire worry about fire
Opposition to storage systems usually focus on the possibility of thermal runway, a series of uncontrolled heating that can cause fire or explosion. Opponents point to the previous fire and ask: What if this happens in my neighborhood?
A battery storage system in Moss Landing, California set fire in January, sent plums of toxic smoke to the atmosphere and forced the evacuation of about 1,500 people.
Experts in the region say that the battery systems have been safe for years. A combustion specialist at the University of Texas in Austin and a professor of mechanical engineering, Ododike Ezacoy, notes that failures are relatively unnatural, but also that no engineer system is 100% foolish.
“This is a relatively immature technique that is quickly maturing, so I think there are really many thoughtful researchers and other stakeholders who are trying to improve the overall security of these systems,” Ezecoy said.
Battery storage supporters say that the facility like Moss Landing, where the battery was stored indoors, will not be allowed in New York, which has adopted the fire code, which requires modular attachment design with minimal vacancy required to fire.
Blocking battery system
Those who live near the proposed sites are not always assured.
In the state of Washington, the city of Maple Valley approved the six -month income in July, in a way “to save us until we know more,” said Laura Philpot, the city manager.
According to Mayor Dennis Travis, Halted, Cancons, which has a adjournment, will be asked whether they want to restrict large battery storage systems within the city boundary. He hopes that the city can host a safely designed storage system one day, and that local anti -California can fix the fire on fire.
According to a presentation by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory last year, the number of areas passed in 2023 and 2024 started to grow in 2023 and 2024, with a notable cluster in New York with a notable cluster in New York, according to a presentation by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory last year.
Winnie Socolowski, a proposed 250-megavat lithium ion storage system in the city of Ulester, New York, is one of the residents of the area, saying that it is very close to schools and houses.
“They are banking when nothing happens, but I don’t think you can give it a place where they are offering and nothing is going to happen,” Sokolovsky said. “It is very risky if it does.”
Developer, Terra-Jen said that the design would set fire to spreading and the system “There is no reliable, scientific-based threat to the neighbors, public or environment.”
Doren Harris, president of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, said that the state is confident that the state has the correct security rules, and that by increasing the use of battery storage systems, “our grid will be strong and modernized.”
He said that there were local concerns in the early stages of sitting solar fields, which have proved to be their benefits since then.
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Jennifer McDermot, Associated Press Writer at Providence, Road Island, contributed to the report.