You may have read that a 250-MW, 1,000 MWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) is proposed for Dunkirk. The glowing coverage neglects a few key issues.

It is reported that the project will make no demands on municipal services. What about firefighting?

The most troubling aspect of hosting a BESS facility is the potential for fires, release of toxic gases, and explosions. Four incidents have already occurred in NYS since 2023. These projects have become controversial–some communities have banned all BESS installations. The Dunkirk location would be close to schools, a nursing home, and residences, as well as environmentally sensitive locales.

BESS fires can be dangerous and time-consuming to fight. Lithium-ion batteries don’t require oxygen to burn and may reignite unexpectedly or rise rapidly to extreme temperatures in a chain reaction called thermal runaway. BESS fires requires experts to determine whether they’re really out.

Water won’t extinguish a BESS fire, but normally, firefighters use water to cool the containers and prevent the fire from spreading. This process can take days, with firefighters spraying water on units 24/7.

Do our local fire companies have the training and personnel to fight these kinds of fires? Do firefighters have the equipment they need? Are there adequate water resources to handle constant discharge for days at a time? Should we be asking our firefighters to take on new risks at all?

Are nearby residents and institutions aware of how these fires may affect their lives, especially through shelter-in-place and evacuation orders? BESS fires can produce toxic hydrogen fluoride gas. This gas may convert to hydrofluoric acid and becomes part of stormwater runoff.

In 320 inspections of BESS manufacturing facilities, an industry group found defects in 26% of their fire suppression systems. More fires are inevitable.

BESS fires may be relatively rare, but all host communities must prepare for them. Keep in mind that the GCI Lighthouse project is only one of the large BESS projects in the works here. Every Chautauqua County community needs an energy storage law to ensure public safety, protect taxpayers from catastrophic expenses, and monitor sensitive environmental resources. NYSERDA provides a model.

A NYS working group recently addressed BESS fire safety. They recommend an emergency response plan for every BESS facility, annual firefighter training, and expert fire mitigation help on-site within 4 hours. No local official should approve a project lacking these.

Towns need time to evaluate the human and environmental impacts of these facilities. I suggest an energy storage moratorium while we write local laws. Fire companies need to understand the risks of fighting BESS fires and evaluate their resources. Decommissioning requirements must be considered carefully; these batteries comprise hazardous waste. In the rare event of a catastrophic fire, the developer must carry insurance to pay the full cost of cleanup.

Do we have enough renewable energy production here to justify these kinds of installations now? Less dangerous and polluting storage technologies are under development.

We all want to embrace clean energy. BESS facilities are not clean energy. BESS is a temporary, flawed technology that we’re attempting to use in ways it was never intended for. We should think hard before we put our firefighters, communities, and environment at risk by installing these projects.

Kris Martin is a Mayville resident.