US energy holding company and project developer-owner NextEra Energy has suspended operations at two energy storage facilities in Long Island, New York, US.
As reported by local news sources, including LI Parks, the website of a local tourism and conservation organisation, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine announced on 5 October that the projects would suspend operations while officials investigate drinking-water contamination.
The investigation goes back to the 2023 East Hampton Energy Storage Centre (EHESC) fire incident. At the end of May 2023, the 5MW/40MW EHESC battery energy storage system (BESS) project owned by National Grid and developed in partnership with a NextEra Energy Resources subsidiary, experienced an “isolated fire”.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) identified EHESC’s fire suppression system as the probable source of perfluoropropionic acid (PFPrA) detected in groundwater and Suffolk County Water Authority wells located south of the facility.
Try Premium for just $1
- Full premium access for the first month at only $1
- Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
- Cancel anytime during the trial period
Premium Benefits
- Expert industry analysis and interviews
- Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
- Exclusive event discounts
Or get the full Premium subscription right away
Or continue reading this article for free
The agency’s initial assessment determined that Novec 1230 vapour or residue likely combined with substantial volumes of water deployed during firefighting operations, generating runoff containing PFPrA that infiltrated the ground and migrated towards the water authority’s Buckskill Road wellfield.
Novec 1230, the commercial name given to Perfluoro(2-methyl-3-pentanone) by manufacturer 3M is a PFAS substance. 3M announced in December 2022 that it would cease producing and “discontinue the use of PFAS across its product portfolio by the end of 2025”.
No enforceable drinking water standard exists at either the federal or state level for PFPrA. The New York State Department of Health has established an interim screening threshold of 3 parts per billion specifically for the East Hampton site, though officials note that research into the substance’s health effects is ongoing.
Two wells were taken out of service and two other wells were placed under restricted use. In the town of East Hampton, three of the four Buckskill Road wells are now out of service with the remaining well available for emergency use.
The Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA) subsequently filed a federal lawsuit on 29 May seeking compensation associated with the contamination.
In July, Romaine and East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen urged NextEra and National Grid to halt operations. Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez demanded updated emergency protocols, environmental testing, and removal of Novec 1230 from both facilities.
After NYSDEC’s September findings, the town insisted the chemical be removed and disposed of outside East Hampton. On 1 October, the town board approved up to US$50,000 for environmental legal counsel ahead of potential litigation. By 3 October, both sites had ceased operations.
No drinking water contamination has been linked to the Montauk BESS facility, though it is included in the suspension because it uses the same fire-suppression agent.
Suffolk County has installed monitoring wells and continues groundwater testing. NYSDEC has designated the East Hampton property as a potential hazardous waste disposal site requiring further investigation.
BESS project details
According to the lawsuit filed by SCWA, the EHESC project used lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells manufactured by Korean battery giant LG Energy Solution (LG ES).
While the specific BESS solution from LG ES is not named, the product sheet for LG’s 250kW ESS states that the system uses the 3M Novec 1230 fire suppression system.
As for the Montauk project, in Burke-Gonzalez’s previously mentioned letter, the Town Supervisor noted that “In his October 12, 2017 memorandum to the Planning Board, the Town’s Senior Planner advised the Board that, apart from some dimensional variations, the Montauk Energy Storage Centre and the East Hampton Energy Storage Centre are essentially the same facility, and that the submitted plans and emergency action plans are nearly identical.”
The letter continued, “The two projects share the same corporate parent, the same executive sponsor, the same environmental consultant (TRC Environmental Corporation), the same design engineer (ECI Engineering Services, plans stamped and sealed by Glen A. Smith), the same lithium-ion chemistry, and the same approach to spill containment. Representations made in one file were made in the other.”
Energy-Storage.news reached out to NextEra for comment but did not receive a response prior to publication.
