Cutchogue residents voice safety concerns over proposed battery storage facility
Key Capture Energy, the company behind the proposed facility, said battery energy storage systems are safe and play an important role in strengthening the electric grid.
More Stories
Residents in the Town of Southold are raising concerns about a proposed battery energy storage system that could be built in Cutchogue, with many citing fears about fire safety and environmental impacts.
Homeowners say the facility would be located on Oregon Road, near existing residences. Cutchogue resident Alix O'Mara said concerns about the project have lingered for years.
“The dangers of explosions are too great to turn away from,” O’Mara said.
The proposed project is one of several battery energy storage facilities that have been considered across Long Island. Critics of the developments have pointed to concerns about fires, environmental impacts, and proximity to neighborhoods.
For now, plans for a battery energy storage facility in Cutchogue remain on hold. According to town officials, Southold has a moratorium on such projects that extends until June 2027.
“We just renewed it another year. We can only do it 12 months at a time,” Southold Town Board member Jill Doherty said.
Key Capture Energy, the company behind the proposed facility, said battery energy storage systems are safe and play an important role in strengthening the electric grid.
In a statement, the company said it encourages Southold to lift the moratorium and allow “the safe development of battery storage that can deliver the reliable, affordable power Long Island needs.”
Southold Town Supervisor Al Krupski said current town code does not permit battery energy storage systems. A town-appointed task force is continuing to evaluate potential environmental and community impacts before any future decisions are made.
