Queens powers New York City – and thus requires a lot of power itself.
Queens would be the 4th largest city in the United States, and larger than fifteen States. At 2.4 million people, we require the most reliable and clean energy system that can create good jobs for our residents and let our families sleep well at night knowing that their energy needs will be met. Battery storage, despite the misinformation out there, is one of the key ingredients to build a better Queens. Now is the time to dispel the myths about storage and embrace its full potential here in the World’s Borough.
The truth is that BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems) – which are key to New York’s climate goals, are safe. These systems are heavily regulated by the FDNY, which spent years formulating rules to ensure the safety of communities in which they reside. This was a painstaking process carried about by New York’s Bravest to get this right and they did. It has taken years for the battery energy companies to build the technology that meets the FDNY criteria. These are not the cheap lithium-ion batteries that power smaller devices like e-bikes that have been causing fires throughout the city.
BESS have been deployed since 2019, in every borough of the City, and there has not been a single BESS fire safety incident – because in this city, BESS are subject to the most stringent technology and design rules of any place in the country, and probably in the world. Not only are these rules superior for how and where to build BESS, but the FDNY actually determines what products developers are allowed to use on their projects, with the FDNY’s own testing and certification system, in addition to testing from nationally recognized labs like UL (Underwriters’ Laboratories). In fact, fire departments and experts from throughout the United States frequently consult with the FDNY as they develop their own BESS rules and regulations, since the FDNY is known as the gold standard for their work in this area. It’s quite possible that, with all this testing and oversight, BESS are safer than many other things in our built environment.
There are also multiple benefits to the 1,400 members of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. BESS will not only create new jobs in Queens communities – the NYC Economic Development Council (NYCEDC) has projected in its Green Economy Action Plan that the battery storage sector will add more than 1,500 permanent jobs in the City over the next 15 years, for example. We also know that each BESS project will bring between 10 and 30 local jobs during the construction phase. BESS will also make our neighborhoods safer and more attractive to future residents who want what we all want: a chance at a better life. We understand that New Yorkers who live and work near BESS sites are right to ask questions about safety and other impacts on their neighborhood.
We both agree that the status quo in our neighborhoods is not safe and do impact our communities. BESS systems have the potential to replace dirty “peaker” plants that belch out toxic pollutants every time they are turned on. Despite being used only 15% of the time, these “peaker” plants belch more asthma-causing toxins like the inhalable particulate matter PM 2.5, Nitrous Oxide and Sulfur Oxide, the stuff that gets into your lungs that cause asthma. There is no way to make those plants clean or safe for our families to live nearby. But we can replace them with batteries that run clean and do not release toxic chemicals into the air. These battery systems help us bring more clean, renewable energy onto the City grid, typically charging up overnight, when our regular grid is actually less dirty than during the day, and when it has excess energy available, and then discharging during high-demand hours as a replacement for peaker plants.
BESS is important to the future of our city in so many ways. They’re safe, they help Queens and all of New York City adopt more clean energy, they make the grid more resilient and ultimately less costly. And when someone says, “but what about the kids?” – well, that one is easy. Battery energy storage systems will create a healthier environment, now and in the future.
Costa Constantinides is the Chief Executive Officer of the Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens and Tom Grech is the President & Chief Executive Officer of the Queens Chamber of Commerce
