To the Editor:

I am writing in response to a recent article in North Country This Week, about the Rich Road solar project. The article stated that the plan for battery storage has been removed from the scope of the project. That decision was made by the state, apparently, which owns 51% of the project. That is an unfortunate decision in my opinion, and I would like to supply updated information regarding fires in Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).

I’m sure it is true that communities and fire departments are concerned about the possibility of fires in these systems, as there have been some; three in NY state. However, the concern is largely the result of old and incomplete information. The incidence of fires in utility scale BESS units has dropped 98% between 2018 and 2025. 

Dan Murray, who is a hazmat chief recently retired from the NY City Fire Department is an expert in prevention and suppression of fires in BESS units. He has educated fire departments all over the US and around the world. He is now a senior consultant at Energy Safety Response Group. If you look him up, you can find talks that he’s given in which he goes into great detail about the layers of safety protocol that go into the building, deployment, and monitoring of BESS systems. 

The number of these systems in the country has increased 40 fold since 2018, and in NY City where Mr. Murray worked there are more than 30 locations, in residential and commercial areas, including near schools and hospitals, and there have been no incidents of fire. Mr. Murray made the statement that a house fire is more dangerous and releases more toxins than a BESS fire.

Battery Energy Storage systems, combined with wind and solar, are a scalable answer to the energy needs of New York and the country, without the need for expensive, unhealthy, and unsafe sources like fossil fuels and nuclear power.

Outdated information and incomplete information are an unfortunate obstacle to careful consideration and safe deployment of these systems.

Paul Petroccione
Canton