New Milford pauses Flat Iron battery project as town advances moratorium review

The mayor of New Milford told viewers on the city livestream that the Flat Iron battery-storage project is currently in a pause phase and that the town council has authorized moving forward with a municipal moratorium on lithium battery-storage utilities.

The announcement explained the town has engaged its legal team and will bring in outside experts to study any plan presented to the municipality. "We have our legal team ready if needed and [we're] bringing on experts to study whatever plan is going to be brought forth to the town," the mayor said.

Why it matters: battery-storage projects using large lithium-ion systems have raised public safety and land-use concerns in other communities, and local governments frequently study technical plans, fire-protection systems and siting before permitting decisions. The mayor said the moratorium was approved at the prior town council meeting to allow time for review and policy work.

What the mayor said about Flat Iron: the mayor reported that when he spoke with Flat Iron the company was not giving up its option on the property but was also "looking at other properties in New Milford as well." The livestream did not include a direct statement from Flat Iron and the company’s position beyond that remark was not recorded.

Next steps: the mayor said the town will circulate more information as it develops, and that council agendas will show future actions. He urged residents to watch the mayor’s page and the town's alert system for updates.

The record: the livestream provided the town’s summary and the mayor’s account; no written moratorium ordinance text, vote tally, or Flat Iron reply was provided during the broadcast.