Discover more local reporting on our homepage <\/a><\/p>\nCity Councilman Phil Wong said, \u201cDo not believe the lies that these batteries are safe! It\u2019s not safe !\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the NYC Department of Buildings, across the five boroughs, there are currently 26 battery energy storage system (BESS) sites that are in operational status, and an additional 56 DOB-approved applications for BESS installations.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson added, \u201cDOB\u2019s Office of Technical Certification and Research performs extensive review of all BESS applications, and both DOB and FDNY have strict regulations related to battery energy storage systems.\u201d<\/p>\n
A NineDOT Energy spokesperson said in a statement to PIX 11 News, \u201cAs we\u2019ve been communicating with the Council Member and the community for more than a year, this battery energy storage system will bring more reliable, more affordable, and cleaner energy to Middle Village residents. \u00a0Fear-mongering and repeating false statements by politicians do a disservice to Middle Village residents \u2013 especially since this area experienced brownouts as recently as two weeks ago because of an overly strained electrical grid.<\/p>\n
We trust the FDNY, not politicians, to tell us what\u2019s safe. We follow the FDNY\u2019s toughest-in-the-nation safety standards, which include pre-approval for all technology, 24-hour monitoring, fire-rated walls, and other layers of safety redundancies. \u00a0These standards already apply to the 30+ battery storage systems currently operating across New York City today. \u00a0Not one of these systems has seen any fire safety incident whatsoever, and several of them are located closer to schools, residences, and community facilities than ours in Middle Village will be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Charlie Vavruska, who works in Councilman Phil Wong\u2019s office, was handing out fliers ahead of the demonstration. He told PIX 11 News, \u201cNineDot\u2019s going to say anything. They said Chornobyl was safe, this is a scam, it\u2019s a boondoggle, we don\u2019t need this.\u201d<\/p>\n
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