Thursday, October 1, 2026
As Long Island’s energy system modernizes, battery storage is becoming a central piece of how electricity is generated, delivered and managed.
At its core, battery energy storage systems (BESS) capture electricity from the power grid — including solar and wind — when demand and prices are low and store it for later use. When demand increases, instead of turning to costly and dirty peaker plants, batteries can discharge, selling their power at a lower price. The result is a more flexible system that can better match supply with demand, saving ratepayers money.
Battery energy storage can also save ratepayers money by avoiding costly infrastructure upgrades. Now, our power system must have the capacity to provide power for the highest demand times, only a few a year, most of the time that capacity sits unused. With batteries, we can store power closer to where it’s needed, and use that supply instead of building a new transmission line.
For a region like Long Island, where aging infrastructure and high energy usage have long posed challenges, that flexibility is increasingly important. Storage not only supports the expansion of clean energy but also helps reduce reliance on older, dirtier, fossil fuel-based generation.
“One very, very critical element into the clean energy transition is energy storage,” said Melissa Parrot, executive director of Renewable Energy Long Island. Parrot recognizes how the system compliments solar and wind making sure that the grid is complete and is fully utilized instead of having to build new, costly infrastructure.
Industry leaders say battery energy storage has moved from an emerging technology to a necessary part of the state’s energy future.
Concerns about safety are often raised when people hear about battery energy storage. But for those working closest to the technology, safety isn’t an afterthought—it’s the foundation these projects are built on.
Paul Rogers, a retired FDNY lieutenant who spent more than 25 years in the fire service and is a Long Island resident, said the industry has evolved with safety at its core. Now working with the Energy Safety Response Group, Rogers pointed to today’s systems, which are designed with safety at the forefront, guided by rigorous standards, extensive training, modern technology, and close coordination with local fire departments.
“These systems are being developed with safety in mind from the start,” Rogers said, noting that the updated codes and coordination with fire officials have reshaped how facilities are designed and operated.
That emphasis is reinforced by New York’s updated fire safety codes, adopted in 2025, which are the most stringent in the country.
John Durso, president of the Long Island Federation of Labor, said the workforce behind these projects plays a key role in maintaining those standards.
“This is being built by Long Island workers who are highly trained,” Durso said. “The codes and the workforce together are what make these projects safe.” Durso makes the point that Long Islanders are building these facilities, they are living in the same communities, they are making sure they are built safely.
Almost as important, this isn’t theoretical in New York State. Battery energy storage facilities are already widely deployed and operating safely across the state. According to data from New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), there are more than 7,400 BESS facilities currently in operation across the state. These systems are quietly supporting grid reliability with minimal safety issues reported.
The highest concentration of existing battery energy storage facilities is in New York City, and there has never been a fire at a facility there. Outside of New York City, at the few incidents that have arisen, no levels of dangerous toxins were measured with extensive testing of the air, soil, and water.
As battery energy storage continues to expand, it is not only strengthening the power grid but doing so with a proven track record of safety–backed by strong building standards, skilled workers, and thousands of successful projects already in operation.
The internal components of a battery storage container at a facility in Staten Island.
Beyond safety, battery energy storage is increasingly viewed as a solution to a more visible challenge: the strain on Long Island’s aging electric grid.
Carrie Meek Gallagher, CEO of the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), said energy storage plays a critical role in managing demand and maintaining reliability, particularly during peak usage periods.
“Battery energy storage helps stabilize the grid and keep pricing down,” Gallagher said.
By storing energy when supply is abundant and releasing it during periods of high demand, battery systems reduce pressure on existing infrastructure. That can help avoid outages, limit the need for emergency measures, and reduce reliance on older, fossil fuel-based peaker plants, which are the most costly way to produce energy.
For Long Island, where demand can surge during extreme weather, that added flexibility is becoming critical to keeping the lights on.
For residents and businesses, one of the most immediate concerns is the cost of electricity.
Battery energy storage offers a way to help manage those costs by reducing price spikes and improving overall system efficiency. By shifting when energy is used, storage can help create more predictable pricing and reduce reliance on higher-cost generation during peak periods.
Billy Haugland II of the Haugland Group said that potential is a key reason the technology continues to expand.
“Battery storage, in my opinion, is the silver bullet for us over the next decade,” Haugland said when discussing the importance to Long Island’s power grid’s reliability and affordability.
As Long Island works to modernize its energy system, balance demand and transition to cleaner sources, battery storage is a foundational tool — one that connects safety, reliability, affordability and environmental progress in a single system.
