Another battery storage proposed in city
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Another Battery Energy Storage System is proposed in Dunkirk, but much smaller than the one already proposed.
The latest BESS is sought by a company called Gridi Development for an area behind a Brigham Road warehouse (the one that used to house a UPS shipping facility).
Dave Gallo of Gridi led a site plan presentation recently at a Dunkirk Planning Board meeting.
He said the BESS would be 5 megawatts on about 3.19 acres of land. By comparison, the BESS sought by GCI Lighthouse Energy, in a wooded area also near Brigham Road but much further back from it than Gridi's proposal, would store 250 megawatts of energy on about 18 acres.
Gallo emphasized that the Gridi project footprint is in the rear behind the warehouse, "tucked away in the southwest corner of the parcel." The site is zoned light industrial.
Gallo said the equipment is envisioned to consist of six BESS containers, similar in size and shape to shipping containers, produced by Tesla. There are also two transformers planned. The array is subject to change, however.
Gallo continued that Gridi has an interconnection agreement in place with National Grid to store power during low-demand times, then release it into the grid during peak demand.
The company has already prepared numerous reports in conjunction with its proposal, such as a wetlands analysis, a fire response safety plan and a hazard mitigation program. Gallo acknowledged that the proposed site is near a wetland, but stated it is at least 100 feet away from the boundary of the BESS plot.
Gridi has also submitted a decommissioning plan, and will get a bond to cover costs of site cleanup when the project is finished.
Gallo said if approved, the BESS would take from three to five months to construct.
He said Dunkirk would see benefits from increased tax revenue and a host community agreement.
Planning Board member Ed Schober stated some concerns about the project after Gallo finished his presentation.
"I disagree with the city’s interpretation that this is an acceptable use" of a light industrial zone, he said. "Our zoning code is 30 years old."
Schober added, "I think it’s being shoehorned into a site right next to residential properties, a stone's throw from a school." The site is just two blocks from School 5.
"These are controversial for a reason," Schober also commented. He noted that BESS arrays have experienced serious fires and caused chemical contamination issues, though he did not name specific incidents.
Dunkirk is currently revamping its zoning code. "To review this now seems premature. As you mentioned, there is nothing on the books," Schober said.
Dunkirk Fire Chief Nick Barter sought air monitoring of the site as a condition of project approval. He also wants the emergency response plan to include clear evacuation directions for neighbors.
Barter commented that the nearest hydrant is 800 feet away and "it would be very helpful to have a closer water supply." He stated for the record that fire protection consultants would monitor the site remotely at all times, and would always have a person available in case of emergency by phone within 15 minutes and on-site within four hours.
The city's deputy planning and development director, EJ Hayes, guided the board on its options with the project. He noted that it could not vote on the site plan until a public hearing is held.
Hayes told the board it should declare itself the lead agency on the required State Environmental Quality Review of the BESS project. The board did so.
The Planning Board also took Hayes' suggestion that it hold the public hearing prior to its next meeting, scheduled for 4 p.m. Aug. 26.