Citizen for Local Power has submitted scoping comments for the environmental impact review of the proposed Lincoln Park gas-diesel-battery power plant. The State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), the law that governs review of proposed projects, requires that feasible alternatives that could reduce a project's environmental impacts be considered. CLP has requested an in-depth feasibility study of a battery-only or battery-plus-renewables project design. Eliminating the gas/diesel portion of the project would reduce or eliminate many of the most serious impacts, including air, water, noise, visual, and greenhouse gas pollution.
The market and regulations for battery storage projects are changing rapidly, and utilities around the country are installing battery-only and battery-plus-renewables projects at an accelerating pace. New York State has set a target of 1500 MW of battery storage by 2025, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has directed all transmission system operators to implement market rules that allow battery projects to compete in the electricity marketplace on a level playing field within two years. The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) has already indicated that they plan to beat the FERC's deadline, with draft rules out later this year. CLP believes that a battery-only project should be economically viable within 12-24 months, not a long time for a project just beginning its environmental review. The environmental benefits of a redesign and a short delay could be enormous.
CLP also requested that Glidepath be required to substantiate the "green" claims they have made about the plant or remove them from the project's description and statement of benefits and emphasized the need for independent, experienced review of all documents and studies submitted by Glidepath.