The Business Council of Westchester’s Clean Energy Action Coalition (CEAC) has welcomed action by the Tarrytown Planning Board that approved plans for installation of a battery energy storage system (BESS) at 120 White Plains Road in the village. Catalyze, an energy company based in Boulder, Colorado, received approval to build a BESS on a rear section of the parking lot at the property.
CEAC Program Director Ron Kamen had testified before the Town Board, which needed to make a zoning change for the project before site plan approval could be granted by Tarrytown’s Planning Board. The CEAC includes representatives from clean energy providers, real estate developers, land use attorneys, professional planners, engineers and landscape architects, financiers, government agencies and authorities, heating fuel providers, and nonprofits.
“It helps reduce energy costs, improves grid reliability and resilience, and makes the village a leader in our clean energy future” Kamen had said of the proposal.
The BESS would have the capability to store five megawatts of electricity. A megawatt is one million watts, enough to light about 10,000 100-watt light bulbs. The systems use lithium-ion batteries to store electricity that is generated but not immediately needed for use until such a time as it is needed. They often are used in conjunction with solar farms that generate electricity during daylight hours so that the solar electricity can be drawn down at night or during peak hours.
The project will use five Tesla MP2-xL’s battery units and additional equipment cabinets. Catalyze said the system would be installed in accordance with Con Edison and state guidance and would provide Con Ed’s electrical grid with energy to use at peak times to better assist in managing loads and voltage and frequency regulation. The installation would cover just over 8,600 square feet.
Catalyze agreed to provide the Tarrytown Fire Department and other local fire departments that have mutual aid agreements with Tarrytown annual training on the installation. Lithium-ion battery fires can be notoriously difficult to combat. The installation will have safety equipment along with fire detection and alarm systems. Tesla’s battery units have cooling equipment built-in.
A monitoring well has been added to the project, which will allow samples of the ground water to be taken on an annual basis to check for possible contamination. Catalyze will provide a bond of more than $265,000 to ensure that adequate funds will be available to cover the cost of decommissioning the installation at the end of its useful life.
