Developer outlines 250 MW battery storage plan for Hurley Avenue site; legislators press on fire safety and liability
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Summary
Terrigen representative Mark Turner described a proposed 250-megawatt lithium-ion battery storage project at 430 Hurley Avenue and answered legislators' questions about past fires, testing, remediation liability and first-responder protocols; Turner said Terrigen had two enclosure fires among nine operating sites and that remediation would be the company's responsibility.
Mark Turner, representing Terrigen, presented a proposal for a 250-megawatt lithium-ion battery energy storage system at 430 Hurley Avenue in the Town of Ulster, outlining the project footprint, grid connection to the Central Hudson Hurley Substation, modular enclosure design, and planned safety protocols.
Turner said the project design centers on modular, compartmentalized enclosures placed within a 15-acre facility footprint on a 25-acre parcel (the former John C. Coleman Catholic High School property). He described a site design with 100-foot minimum setbacks, a switch yard that steps electricity up to 345 kV to connect to the Hurley Substation, and measures intended to limit a credible fire event to a single enclosure.
In questions from legislators, Turner said Terrigen has had two fires at operating sites since beginning operations (their first project went online in 2020) out of nine operating locations. He said those incidents were contained to single enclosures or a few modules and that air and soil monitoring following those events showed no contamination above health thresholds. "We've had fires at 2 locations... they were limited to a single enclosure," Turner said.
On liability and remediation, Turner told the committee remediation would be Terrigen's responsibility in the unlikely event of a fire. He described large-scale fire testing required by the National Fire Protection Association standard (NFPA 855), his company's training work with local first responders, and on-site firefighting resources including a proposed 30,000-gallon water storage tank for responders to use.
Legislators asked for raw data from monitoring and large-scale fire tests. One legislator noted two fires in three years at a regional facility and asked for details; another voiced concerns about potential county financial exposure. Turner committed to providing test data and said the EIR process will include the analyses and reports the committee requested.
Why it matters: Turner said battery storage is a key tool to stabilize the grid and manage increasing electricity demand tied to electrification and renewable integration, but committee members emphasized the need for transparent safety data and clarity about construction labor sourcing, local economic benefits and community impacts.
Next steps: Terrigen will provide fire-test and monitoring data to the committee and include the requested analyses in the environmental review process; the company and county staff will continue follow-up on emergency response planning, noise and community host-benefit negotiation.