Holyoke council adopts resolution backing Westfield on large battery-storage proposal

Holyoke City Council on April 15 adopted a resolution in support of the City of Westfield's effort to gather public comment and to request state review of a 219-unit lithium battery storage proposal near the Bonds Aquifer.

The unanimous vote, taken after more than an hour of discussion and public comment, directs the city clerk to forward the resolution and public-hearing information so nearby communities can submit comments before the state siting board's April 29 remote hearing and the May 13 written-comment deadline.

Why it matters: Westfield's proposed project is larger than facilities Holyoke has permitted, and councilors said its placement near regional aquifers and in low-lying valley topography raises public-safety and air-quality concerns if a battery fire occurs. Proponents of the resolution said coordinated local responses and timely filings will give affected communities a stronger voice to the Energy Facilities Siting Board.

Dan Alley, a Westfield city councilor who addressed Holyoke during the public-comment period, described the Westfield project as 219 standalone lithium battery units "about 20 feet long" and warned of risks he characterized as regional: "A lithium fire cannot be extinguished and will burn, for 2 to 5 days." Alley also said the siting board's public comment period closes May 13 and urged cities to submit resolutions and written comments before then.

Several Holyoke councilors said the City should support Westfield's request while continuing local review of battery facilities proposed inside Holyoke. "We have to be thoughtful," Councilor McGrath Smith said, noting local topography and prior incidents: "There's a reason why we have the highest rates of asthma in this valley...You cannot put a lithium fire out with water. You just have to let it burn. And that means that all of the toxicity of that is gonna go into the air." Councilor Sullivan and others said the Westfield proposal is much larger than the small units already operating in Holyoke and that coordinated action across the valley is appropriate.

Council action and next steps: The council suspended the usual rules to take up and adopt the resolution during the April 15 meeting. Councilor Bacon made the motion to adopt; the motion was seconded and carried by roll call. The clerk recorded a unanimous vote in favor (all present councilors voted yes). The resolution instructs the clerk and city staff to forward materials and to file the adopted resolution with the appropriate state entities so Holyoke's views are available for the April 29 hearing and the May 13 comment deadline.

Context: The Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB) process includes both written comment and remote public hearings; several Western Massachusetts communities, including Westfield, have sought a moratorium or additional siting safeguards for large-scale lithium battery projects sited near important water resources. Holyoke councilors said the city also needs a local, holistic discussion about standards and ordinances for battery storage inside its boundaries.

The council asked staff to bring a related discussion to the Development, Government Relations and Rules committee for a comprehensive review of Holyoke's approach to battery storage and to potentially craft local policy changes.