CARMEL – State Senator Pete Harckham has announced his “full support” for a moratorium on energy storage systems in Putnam County.
In addition, the lawmaker has promised to introduce new state legislation to ensure sound citing and storage system safety while also guaranteeing that all local stakeholders are included in the development process.
Harckham’s action comes in the wake of the Carmel Town Board’s scheduled public hearing over a potential zoning change that would limit the scope of battery storage systems including the one proposed for a 90-acre parcel of land off Miller Road at the Carmel-Somers town line that has resulted in an uproar from local residents.
If approved, the amendment would allow the town to impose a moratorium on the project while it considers amendments to the zoning law that would limit such projects to a fraction of the size of the 116-megawatt project proposed for Miller Road.
Residents of both southern Mahopac and Baldwin Place have been up in arms in recent weeks over the 116-megawatt facility proposed by Virginia-based East Point Energy which has signed a long-term lease with landowners. Residents are concerned about the project’s size in addition to safety issues due to its proximity to nearby residences.
Harckham said his district office had fielded numerous calls and emails over the past several weeks from constituents about the proposed project. The lawmaker applauded the Carmel Town Board for planning to hold the public hearing. “The board has my full support in pursuing a temporary moratorium until it has had the opportunity to consider more comprehensive local regulations. I appreciate and respect the independence of the Town of Carmel as it relates to land use matters. The proximity of the Miller Road site to homes and properties in the adjoining municipalities makes this proposed project particularly sensitive.”
Harckham said the new legislation he plans to introduce will support local governments as they contend with other proposals for energy storage systems or battery farms and would “ensure sound citing, best standards for energy storage system safety and guarantee all stakeholders are heard.”
Ed Marchant of Mahopac whose home is located near the proposed project promised to “fight to the end for our families, our neighbors, our town and most of all our children.”
Scott Connuck, senior project developer for East Point Energy, explained his company was focusing on the area due to the “retirement of Indian Point. The security of the grid is at risk. In some parts of the Hudson Valley people say if the wind blows the power goes out. This won’t stop every outage that happens but can reduce the numbers.”
