While wind energy faces federal headwinds, dozens of battery projects remain under review for LI

As New York State recalibrates its energy plans based on federal headwinds for offshore wind, power developers appear to be hedging their bets for large battery energy storage facilities on Long Island, with around three dozen remaining in a state grid manager’s list of potential sites in coming years.

There’s no guarantee the batteries will ultimately get built, and factors including financing, local moratoriums, community opposition and a generally negative outlook on green energy from Washington, could impact the projects in the future.

But passage of the Trump administration’s "Big, Beautiful Bill" included a longer glidepath for battery storage facilities to receive critical federal subsidies than the legislation originally indicated, allowing developers up to 2033 to complete them before tax credits begin to sunset.

Batteries have been considered an essential leg of the state’s green-energy focus because of a mandate to retire fossil fuel-burning  power plants and the anticipated influx of offshore wind farms. The state’s goals for batteries stand at 6,000 megawatts by 2030.

The Trump administration’s suspension of new leases and permits for offshore wind has thrown some green-energy plans into question. This week, the state Public Service Commission announced it was terminating an ongoing evaluation process for new power transmission lines into New York City to accommodate up to 8,000 megawatts of offshore wind power. The state plan calls for 9,000 megawatts of wind by 2035.

The PSC said federal moves to halt offshore wind permitting and construction "make achieving New York’s offshore wind goal impossible in the near term" and "undermine the central purpose of the transmission solicitation."

PSC spokesman James Denn said the decision won’t impact a separate Propel NY Energy proposed transmission project from Long Island to Westchester, saying, "Yesterday’s decision by the PSC does not apply to Propel NY, as that project addresses multiple needs for Long Island’s energy system, including important reliability and resiliency benefits, that are independent of any future offshore wind projects."

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, which administers the green energy solicitations, said the PSC's announcement "will allow us to move forward more prudently by taking into consideration how the landscape for the offshore wind industry might have changed if and when the federal policy on offshore wind shifts."

The PSC move doesn’t reference other green energy projects, including dozens of proposed battery facilities listed as current on the New York Independent System Operator’s interconnection queue. More than three dozen big Long Island projects are seeking potential connections to the Long Island Power Authority grid at points across Nassau and Suffolk counties over the next three to five years.

NYISO’s role is to evaluate the proposals to "ensure projects can connect to the grid without harming the system or imposing undue costs on consumers," a spokesman said.

Among the projects listed in the queue are three by National Grid, including one that would be located near its Glenwood Landing facility and rated at 50 megawatts. That location would be near a recently withdrawn project called Oyster Shore Energy Center, by Jupiter Power, which cited permitting challenges.

"Don’t do it here," said Doug Augenthaler, a Glenwood Landing resident, who battled the Jupiter project, calling lithium ion batteries a "dangerous technology."

National Grid, which already operates two considerably smaller 5-megawatt battery projects in East Hampton and Montauk, is listed as proposing at least two other battery facilities, in Wading River and Southampton, along with Glenwood Landing. Southampton has new guidelines on battery storage placement.

Will Brunelle, a spokesman for National Grid Ventures, said the projects are  "in the exploratory phase and are not under active development." He said the company "continuously monitor[s] market conditions" and communicates with the state "as we assess opportunities to enhance the resilience of New York's electricity system."

The New York Power Authority is also listed as proposing at least two projects for Long Island, including a 49.1-megawatt battery for its Brentwood facility, now home to a small fossil fuel power plant. NYPA also has listed a 170-megawatt battery called Flynn Energy Storage that would connect in Holtsville, presumably near its Flynn power plant.

NYPA spokeswoman Susan Craig said the authority is exploring the facilities as part of a plan to transition its small natural gas-powered plants to cleaner energy generation. Before it can do so, NYPA said, it would make certain the Brentwood plant isn’t needed for grid reliability, among other conditions, while negotiations are underway for the Flynn site in Holtsville.

A company with the most proposed battery storage sites for Long Island is KCE, or Key Capture Energy, of Albany. The company lists seven projects with proposed interconnection points across Suffolk, including two in Shoreham and Hauppauge, that were previously announced by LIPA. Other KCE projects listed include a 50-megawatt facility to connect in West Babylon, a 60-megawatt unit with a Jamesport connection, a 150-megawatt facility connecting at Sills Road in Brookhaven, and a 45-megawatt project in Riverhead.

Chris Linsmayer, a spokesman for Key Capture Energy, said the company "remains committed" to the projects listed in the NYISO queue, noting the company has been developing projects in the state since 2016. He said the company was "still assessing" the impact of the federal bill, but said KCE "remains committed to building battery energy storage on Long Island to meet its growing electricity needs regardless of federal policy."

Two previously reported Caithness Energy storage facilities remain on the active list and are planned for the company’s power plant property in Yaphank, rated at a combined 90 megawatts. Holtsville Energy Storage, a 110-megawatt plant proposed for Morris Avenue in Holtsville, has begun some preliminary construction.

There’s a project called Kalmia Storage rated at 50 megawatts and proposed for connection at Holtsville, and another called Hanwha Q Cells is proposing a Daphne Energy storage unit of 75 megawatts to connect to the grid in Moriches. A company called Empire Reserve Energy is proposing a 125-megawatt project called Gala Grove BESS (battery energy storage solution), connecting at the Wildwood substation in Wading River.

Sweetwaters Energy Center is proposing a 125 megawatts for connection in Hauppauge. Marathon Power is proposing a 135-megawatt Marathon BESS to connect at Greenlawn. Sandlot Energy LLC is proposing a 50-megawatt facility, and a company called Viridity Energy Solutions is proposing a 100-megawatt facility, called Cruiser BESS, for connection at LIPA’s Pulaski substation in East Northport. 

A firm named Ramadi LLC is proposing a Ramadi Utility Storage facility rated at 140 megawatts on the William Floyd-to-West Yaphank power line. One called Endurance by Endurance Power rated at 75 megawatts would connect at the Jericho-New Cassel substation.

A Jericho Power station rated at 35 megawatts is planned for connection to the Commack substation. An East Setauket Energy Storage facility rated at 248 megawatts is planned for the that region, and Poplar Energy Center is planned as a 60-megawatt unit to connect at Riverhead.

Calpine Mid Atlantic has a Bethpage Battery Storage project planned at 44 megawatts at the LIPA substation in Bethpage.

By Mark Harrington

mark.harrington@newsday.comMHarringtonNews

Mark Harrington, a Newsday reporter since 1999, covers energy, wineries, Indian affairs and fisheries.