WALTON - Walton council members on Feb. 10 opened a pointed discussion on whether to impose a temporary moratorium on battery energy storage systems, with Councilmember Luis Rodriguez-Betancourt urging the town to pause before projects advance.
The conversation unfolded against the backdrop of expanding renewable energy development in Delaware County and the broader watershed region, including solar arrays and the possibility of energy storage facilities on land owned by New York City Department of Environmental Protection.
“There’s rumor that New York state wants to install battery banks,” Councilmember Luis Rodriguez-Betancourt said, prompting him to respond that New York City owns land locally and “they have bought around here to put in battery banks and solar farms on those land.”
His chief concern centered on emergency response and environmental risk.
“Are you guys certified for lithium battery fire?” he asked, noting that lithium-ion battery fires can require large volumes of water and produce toxic fumes.
He pointed to “two fires in New York state in the Warwick area,” saying such incidents “require huge amounts of water to control the fire,” which could contaminate groundwater. “The fumes that are come out of the fires are pretty toxic,” he said.
Others asked for clarification about what battery storage facilities are.
“What it is is that they store - it’s a power storage, solar battery,” Rodriguez-Betancourt said, adding they can also store power generated by wind.
Councilmember Len Govern noted that developers would pay for fire training when projects are installed. Another referenced a recent hearing involving a proposed battery facility, saying the state had rejected an attempt to proceed on an emergency basis without environmental review.
“The state said no, they would have to be considering environmental impact,” the speaker said, adding that a lawyer implied “it’s probably not going to happen.”
Still, Rodriguez-Betancourt warned that as solar development expands, storage facilities could follow.
“The next common sense step will be to build the storage,” he said, suggesting developers might co-locate batteries with solar panels.
He proposed forming an exploratory committee and consulting officials in Warwick, as well as seeking input from the local fire department.
“Those things are bad to put out, and they’re very toxic too,” he said.
Supervisor Joe Cetta cautioned that renewable energy on city-owned watershed lands has been contemplated for years. Under the 2010 water supply permit and a subsequent intergovernmental agreement, wind and solar projects were defined as renewable energy.
“It is unclear where standalone battery storage facilities would fall in the definition of renewable energy projects,” he said.
Cetta explained that the agreement allows limited development, with the state required to approve projects involving more than 10 acres of disturbance. He also noted that “batteries wasn’t part of” the original renewable energy discussions.
Several council members questioned whether the town would have jurisdiction over battery storage on city-owned property. Councilmember Kevin Armstrong responded that the town can regulate land uses within its jurisdiction, including through zoning and local laws.
Rodriguez-Betancourt pressed for a temporary halt.
“We should have a moratorium until we’re ready to make a decision,” he said, recommending a one-year pause - the maximum typically allowed - to allow research and drafting of local regulations.
Town officials acknowledged that other municipalities have enacted similar measures. A quick survey cited towns including Hurly, Gardiner, Athens, and Warwick, among others, that have passed moratoriums on battery storage facilities.
Town Attorney Carly Walas said she could draft a local law imposing a one-year moratorium on battery energy storage systems. A moratorium, she explained, would prohibit such facilities temporarily while the town studies the issue and considers permanent regulations.
“There is concern,” Cetta said. “I wholeheartedly agree that there is concern to research it more.”
By the end of the discussion, the board appeared poised to move forward with drafting the moratorium for consideration at a future meeting, signaling that Walton, like other communities, is weighing how to balance renewable energy expansion with local control and public safety.
