Council hearing spotlights safety review and community opposition to battery energy storage in residential areas

Chairperson Joanne Areola convened the Committee on Fire and Emergency Management for an oversight hearing on battery energy storage systems (BESS), where FDNY, the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCJ), the public advocate and dozens of industry representatives and residents testified on safety, permitting and siting.

The hearing focused on two competing priorities: the FDNY’s technical, engineering‑led approval process intended to reduce fire and HazMat risk; and community concerns about systems proposed adjacent to homes, schools and hospitals. FDNY officials described a layered review that begins with laboratory testing and a manufacturer’s certificate of approval, proceeds through plan acceptance for suppression and alarm systems, includes three on‑site inspections before an operating permit is issued, and is supplemented by HazMat familiarization drills and annual training.

Thomas Correo, chief of fire prevention for the New York City Fire Department, told the committee that FDNY “has exclusive authority and responsibility to grant certificates of approval for battery energy storage systems for use in New York City as required by New York City Fire Code 1112 and fire code 608.5.” Correo described checks including equipment certification, design…