The FDNY will testify before the New York City Council on Tuesday afternoon about fire safety, including how the department regulates the storage of lithium-ion batteries, which have been linked to deadly fires.
The oversight hearing follows growing public concern about battery energy storage systems, or BESS — often referred to as battery farms — which store electricity for use during peak demand or when the grid is under strain.
While the technology is seen as key to clean-energy goals, Queens and Staten Island residents have begun protesting the construction of BESS sites in their neighborhoods, citing safety risks.
The uproar intensified after a massive fire at a battery site in Northern California earlier this year forced more than 1,000 people to evacuate.
Councilmember Joann Ariola, who chairs the committee on fire and emergency management, said the 1 p.m. hearing is intended to press FDNY officials on permitting, site reviews and how much community input affects where new facilities are placed.
“There have been rallies in different communities in four of the five boroughs and people are generally in opposition of these types of facilities being in residential areas,” Ariola said. “We want to find out from the [Adams] administration what their plan is — and how they’re going to go about permitting, choosing and keeping people safe."
Lithium-ion batteries have been linked to more than 233 fires in New York City so far this year, resulting in 42 injuries and one death, according to the FDNY. That’s more than last year’s total of 230 fires, which caused 92 injuries and five deaths, officials said.
