See below for a representative site plan for the project. All battery enclosures will be several hundred feet from property lines and the closest residence is several hundred feet away.

In addition to the battery enclosures, the project will also include equipment similar to what you would find in a substation like the one next door, such as inverters, transformers, electric wires and poles, small buildings for communications equipment, etc. There will also be climate control equipment integrated into the containers similar to the HVAC systems you would find in a home or business. Surrounding the project there will be fencing and natural vegetative screening, minimizing the visual impact for neighbors in Mahopac and Somers.

Safety in the design, construction, and operation of energy storage systems is our highest priority. Through code compliance, effective design, operation, and maintenance, battery energy storage systems are safe and the risk of thermal runaway and subsequent fire is extremely low. These types of low risk activities are familiar in our everyday lives, such as heating our houses with natural gas or driving a car.

Each battery enclosure is controlled and monitored 24/7/365, allowing the facility to be closely managed and safely operated. Each enclosure is equipped with an integrated system of sensors, alarms, and fire detection and suppression systems. The operational management systems will be designed, installed, and operated according to applicable national and local fire code standards and regulations, which include energy storage-specific regulations. Additionally, Union Energy Center has had and will continue to have regular contact with the local fire department to facilitate coordination and training opportunities that ensure first responders are adequately trained to handle any system incidents or safety concerns.

Yes. Many of us sleep with lithium-ion batteries right next to us (cell phones and laptops) or parked in our garage (electric vehicles). Energy storage projects are regularly built and operated in urban areas around the US and across the world, with very high safety records.

As stated on NYSERDA’s website, “Energy storage systems are thoroughly regulated, with oversight from federal, state, and local authorities. There are thousands of energy storage systems installed in New York (including many grid-scale systems) that have successfully met all applicable regulations.” Our collaboration with the Mahopac Volunteer Fire Department began in 2021. We appreciate the valuable input they have provided in the development of our site plan and look forward to continued collaboration. Similar to the educational session held in 2023 for MVFD, all future education, training, and planning for the MVFD, other mutual aid fire departments, and county emergency services will be provided for free.

Finally, it is worth noting that in recent fire safety events, there have been limited, if any, impacts outside of the project area. The NYS Interagency Fire Safety Working Group concluded in December 2023 that “there were no reported injuries and no harmful levels of toxins detected” from the energy storage project fires that occurred in 2023, helping demonstrate that even in the worst-case scenarios, projects fail safely.   

The environmental concerns of energy storage projects are minimal and consistent with other types of development. Further, this project is subject to review from the NYS Public Service Commission, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Aviation Administration, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, the Carmel Environmental Conservation Board, Carmel Highway Department, Carmel Building Department, Carmel Engineering Department, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, and the Carmel Planning Board. These agencies and boards will only approve this project if they are confident there are minimal and manageable environmental concerns. 

We use energy storage all of the time in our everyday lives. The same battery technologies that power your phone, computer, and other electronic devices are smaller versions of the battery energy storage systems connected to our electrical grid. Energy storage systems charge and store electricity when it is least expensive and/or when there is a surplus on the grid so that it can be used when electricity is most needed due to high costs and/or limited supply.

Energy storage projects are vital to ensure grid reliability and resiliency, especially as we see increases in the number of intermittent generators such as solar and wind on the electrical grid. They can assist in more efficiently using utility resources by expanding their capability to meet peak demand. Additionally, during periods of grid stress, these energy storage systems can provide valuable extended operating power. When installed in a location adjacent to a substation, as the Union Energy Center will be, a battery energy storage system can deliver maximum value to the grid with the ability to support several electrical circuits. System deployment at substations can provide required overload support when the equipment is aging or if there is substantial load growth due to increased electrical demand. Energy storage systems can also provide daily voltage and ancillary services support. Depending on the location and magnitude of storm impacts, the project could also help reduce the length and number of outages of the supply of electricity to Carmel residents during major storm and hurricane events, or accelerate the restoration of electricity in the event of an outage.

• At the end of 2023, there were over 14,000 megawatts of energy storage projects operating in the US with another 15,000 megawatts planned in 2024. Data from the EIA.gov website.
• The top 5 states for most installed energy storage projects are: CA, TX, AZ, FL, and MA. New York is 9^th!
• The largest operating energy storage project in the US today is 750 megawatts (~6.5 times the size of the proposed Union project)

This project is located on Miller Road in Mahopac, NY. There are many factors that go into selecting a project site. In the case of Union Energy Center, we considered the proximity of electrical infrastructure (i.e. the substation & transmission lines next door), the proximity of electrical load and intermittent generation resources (i.e. solar and wind), the results of the interconnection studies with New York Independent Service Operator, several environmental factors, physical land attributes such as topography, commercial/industrial zoning, and community impact.

The project has submitted a decommissioning plan to the Town of Carmel.

We expect this facility to be in operation for at least 20 years, though the energy system’s useful life can vary based on use, maintenance, and augmentation activities. The project will follow a decommissioning plan in coordination with the Town of Carmel, which safely removes all equipment from the site and transports component parts to the appropriate recycling or waste management facilities at the end of the project life.

Please see below for a list of additional resources if you want to learn more about BESS.
Click the individual items to open the resources.

• Rappahannock Electric Cooperative – video detailing their flagship BESS in Spotsylvania County
• American Clean Power (ACP): What is Energy Storage Fact Sheet
• American Clean Power (ACP): BESS FAQs
• American Clean Power (ACP): Energy Storage Leading on Safety
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Grid-Scale Battery Storage FAQ 
• Dominion Energy – Battery Storage Pilot Project Information
• Utility Dive: Archive of energy storage new storages
• USEIA: Battery Storage Capacity Expected to Nearly Double in 2024