Rockland County Business Journal Your Voices: Battery Storage Can Help New York Build A More Affordable, Reliable Energy Future
September 28th, 2026
Read online or listen to the opinion piece at rcbizjournal.com.
Battery Storage Projects Are Good For The Economy, Good For Reducing Energy Bills, And Safe
By Justin Wilcox
New York’s energy policy must be measured by more than the ambitions it sets. It must also deliver electricity that households and businesses can afford, a grid that remains reliable and an economy capable of supporting future growth. That requires practical investments in the infrastructure needed to meet the state’s energy needs.
Battery energy storage is one of those investments.
For years, batteries have held the promise of storing electricity when it is abundant and returning it to the grid when it is needed. Without substantial energy storage, the renewable mandates established by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act become more difficult and more expensive to integrate reliably.
They can also supplement dispatchable resources and displace generation from some of the least efficient and highest-emitting plants during certain hours. That is a legitimate grid function, and one that should not be overlooked simply because battery storage cannot solve every challenge facing the electric system.
Upstate United has consistently argued that New York needs a diversified energy resource mix. Existing natural gas generation will remain necessary for years to maintain reliability, and the state should support strategic investments in generation and fuel supply that can reduce costs and emissions. Battery storage should be understood as part of that same practical approach.
Yet as battery projects move from planning documents to individual communities, their promise is increasingly colliding with the public’s safety concerns.
There are valid safety considerations associated with virtually every form of energy infrastructure. Natural gas pipelines, nuclear power plants and fuel storage facilities must all be engineered and operated with safety as a fundamental guiding principle. Battery storage should be held to the same standard.
That principle was behind the creation of New York’s Inter-Agency Fire Safety Working Group in 2023. Following several battery fires, the state brought together fire safety experts and agencies to examine incidents, inspect operating facilities and identify improvements to safety standards and emergency response.
The working group inspected 57 large, operating battery storage projects. Those inspections produced important lessons about fire code requirements, inspection procedures and coordination with local emergency responders. Many of the group’s recommendations were subsequently incorporated into New York’s updated Fire Code, which took effect in January 2026.
The updated requirements address matters including emergency response planning, inspections, fire department coordination and independent review of project safety. These are not substitutes for careful local oversight. They are tools that can help communities evaluate proposed facilities with greater confidence and ensure that safety remains central to the process.
New York’s Public Service Commission has approved a target of 6 gigawatts of energy storage by 2030. Meeting that target will require more than setting a number in Albany. It will require the state to provide communities with the technical resources, clear standards and support necessary to make informed decisions about proposed projects.
Local governments should retain their authority to review land use and evaluate the impacts of development. At the same time, legitimate concerns should be addressed through rigorous standards, transparent information and meaningful engagement, rather than allowing uncertainty to become an indefinite barrier to investment.
New York cannot afford an energy policy that encourages new resources in principle, while making it increasingly difficult to build the infrastructure necessary to support them.
Battery storage is not a silver bullet. But it can help diversify our resource mix, improve grid efficiency and support a more orderly transition to lower emissions.
Policymakers must acknowledge that new technologies can raise legitimate safety concerns, just as existing energy technologies carry risks of their own. But the answer should be to manage those risks, not to turn away from the benefits. New York needs to evaluate these investments on their merits, insist on strong safety standards and build the infrastructure that can deliver measurable benefits.
If we are serious about an affordable, reliable and lower-emissions energy future, battery storage must be part of the solution.
Justin Wilcox is executive director of Upstate United, a coalition of businesses, organizations and community leaders working to strengthen Upstate New York’s economy, improve affordability and create opportunities for growth.