About the Moratorium

At the October meeting of the Common Council Safety Committee, Nick Fox, director of Code Enforcement, reported that a group interested in siting a large capacity battery storage facility at the end of Hudson Avenue, on land surrounding the building constructed in 1910-1911 as the new plant for the Gifford-Wood Company and most recently used by McGuire Overhead Door, had contacted his office seeking information about the city's code regarding battery energy storage systems. As Fox told the committee, there is nothing in the code about battery energy storage systems. 

For those unfamiliar with battery energy storage systems, this information is provided on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website: 

Battery Energy Storage Systems, or BESS, help stabilize electrical grids by providing steady power flow despite fluctuations from inconsistent generation or renewable energy sources and other disruptions. While BESS technology is designed to bolster grid reliability, lithium battery fires at some installations have raised legitimate safety concerns in many communities.

BESS incidents can present unique challenges for host communities and first responders:

• Fire Suppression: Lithium battery fires are extremely difficult to extinguish and may reignite hours or days later.
• Emissions: Battery fires can release harmful gases that pose health risks to nearby residents and first responders.
• Environmental Impact: Proper cleanup and disposal of damaged batteries requires specialized procedures.

The initial consensus among members of the Safety Committee seemed to be that such facilities did not belong within Hudson's two square miles because of the potential hazards, but three day later, at the Common Council Legal Committee meeting, it was suggested by Ken Dow, legal counsel to the Council, that moratorium on siting such facilities be put in place to give the Council time to study the issue further before proposing code amendments to regulate or prohibit them. The proposed moratorium was introduced at the informal Common Council meeting on October 19 and referred to the city and county planning boards for a recommendation.

At last night's Planning Board meeting, the moratorium was the only item of business on the agenda. Although Ron Bogle, who chairs the Planning Board, introduced the topic by saying, "I don't see any reason why we wouldn't support this," there was considerable discussion before the board voted 5 to 1 to issue a favorable opinion about the moratorium. Bogle, Nathan Woodhull, Peter Spear, Sara Black, and Veronica Concra voted in support of the moratorium; Gene Shetsky voted against at; Kali Michael was absent from the meeting.

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