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Advocates split as Massachusetts lawmakers weigh moratorium and wide setbacks for battery storage
Summary
A wave of town officials and residents urged an 18‑month moratorium and large buffer zones for grid‑scale lithium battery storage after local siting disputes, while industry and energy advocates warned that broad setbacks would effectively bar needed storage capacity to meet state clean‑energy targets.
Supporters of H4689 and H4690 urged the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy on Tuesday to pause approvals of grid‑scale lithium battery storage and study safety, emergency response and siting rules before projects proceed.
Representative Sweezy, who spoke about two bills seeking study and setback requirements, said one project she inspected sat roughly 200 feet from a residential property and a child’s playground and called that “very, very unsafe.” She described fires in other states that injured firefighters and warned of runoff and toxic waste risks from firefighting efforts.
Matthew Broderick, chair of his town’s BEST…
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