Delay Requested (and Granted) on Battery Energy Storage System in Tarrytown

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Tarrytown Fire Chief Raymond Tuohy at Planning Board meeting in November.

January 27, 2025

By Rick Pezzullo—

It is not often that an applicant seeking approval on a project will ask a municipal board not to take a vote, especially when it appears that vote will be an affirmative one.

Well, that’s exactly what took place Monday night at the Tarrytown Planning Board meeting with the application for a proposed Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at 120 White Plains Road.

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With only three board members in attendance, Douglas Warden of Snyder and Snyder, representing Catalyze Tarrytown White Plains Road Microgrid, LLC, requested any decision on closing the public hearing, issuing a negative declaration and referring the application to the Board of Trustees be put on hold for a future meeting.

“We want the full board to weigh-in so it represents the full will of the board,” Warden said.

Although acting Chairman David Aukland told Warden “we have no reason to defer any further,” and three members were enough to render a decision, the board granted Warden his wish.

The Planning Board has been reviewing the application for several months and did a site visit with local fire officials in late November.

During a public hearing in November, Planner Stanley Friedlander expressed concerns about homeowners near the project’s site in case of “a catastrophic event.”

Tarrytown Fire Chief Raymond Tuohy stressed during that same meeting the Fire Department was opposed to the project.

“We are not in favor of this particular system in this particular location at this time,” he said. “I’m not comfortable with it.”

Nick Petrakis, Director of Engineering with Energy Safety Response Group (ESRG), said the applicant exceeded the fire code safety requirements.

“The applicant has followed the New York State laws and has gone above and beyond,” he said.

The Planning Board is scheduled to meet next on February 13.

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