Simply final fall, the state legislature handed, and Governor Maura Healey signed into regulation, a invoice titled An Act selling a clear power grid, advancing fairness, and defending ratepayers, known as the 2024 Vitality Act. This laws places an ideal emphasis on industrial dimension battery power storage methods (BESS) as part of our state’s power future. Because of this, Massachusetts is ill-prepared for the avalanche of large battery tasks which can be about to start out hitting across the state, or in some instances, have already got. Regardless of being a part of the brand new regulation, current steering from the Division of Environmental Safety (DEP) is woefully insufficient.
A standard industrial battery is 1 MW or 4 MWh, and the batteries in query are every the scale of 40-foot tractor trailers. Beneath the 2024 Vitality Act, 3,500 or extra of those giants are resulting from arrive across the state over the following two years or so. The place they may all go is anyone’s guess as we’re already seeing proposals popping up across the state. At this dimension, they may largely be sited in massive teams of 40 or extra.
Each group of those batteries is a critical security threat resulting from their skill to spontaneously ignite and even explode. This truth is acknowledged within the Vitality Act, because it directed the DEP to develop steering on the general public well being, security, and environmental impacts of electrical battery storage.
Whereas the newest steering was issued simply this August, it’s mistaken for the enormous battery instances we are actually seeing in Massachusetts. The error in steering is easy; the Hearth Security part of the steering relies on the Nationwide Hearth Safety Affiliation (NFPA) Customary 855, “Customary for the Set up of Stationary Vitality Storage Methods.” This customary is for small batteries, not the enormous batteries and battery complexes which can be about to be constructed across the state.
By means of scale the NFPA Customary 855 is proscribed to batteries with an power storage capability of fifty kilowatt-hours (kWh) or much less. Such a battery could be used for emergency blackout safety in an workplace constructing. Nevertheless, every of the state’s Vitality Act batteries is prone to have a capability of 4,000 kWh (equal to 4 MWh) or extra.
Big batteries 80 occasions larger than Customary 855 permits should not adequately coated by that customary. Sadly, as of but there aren’t any nationwide requirements for batteries of this scale.
In some features, making use of 885 could be catastrophically mistaken. For instance, 885 says that when there are a number of batteries, they need to be three toes aside so if one burns it is not going to ignite its neighbors. That tiny spacing would supply no safety within the case of the enormous batteries being mandated in Massachusetts.
The best threat with these large batteries is {that a} single battery burning has the potential to set the whole complicated on fireplace. The Division of Vitality Assets (DOER) has issued a Request for Proposals for Vitality Act batteries that in impact, specifies that tasks have at the very least 40 batteries and will have as much as 1,000. The opportunity of disaster is plain.
DEP and DOER have to develop new steering that adequately addresses fireplace security in these coming large battery complexes. NFPA 855 supplies a place to begin so far as the subjects are involved, however the necessities for Vitality Act large batteries will in fact be way more in depth.
For instance, 885 contains the subject “Thermal Runaway Propagation Safety Methods.” Right here, thermal runaway refers to a battery spontaneously catching fireplace and propagation means then setting different batteries on fireplace. Stopping propagation usually requires making use of huge portions of water over lengthy durations of time to maintain the neighboring batteries cool as a result of these batteries burn extremely sizzling and the chemical fireplace can’t be put out, typically for a number of days. Additionally they embody “Explosion Management Methods.”
NFPA 885 additionally contains the subject of “Emergency Response Plans.” This could embody specialised hazardous materials fireplace coaching for firefighters and different first responders as these large battery chemical fires are distinctive. Who ought to be educated can be a giant situation. If a big multi-battery complicated goes up in flames, the variety of responders could possibly be very massive, not simply the native fireplace division and medical providers.
There additionally must be plans for evacuation and in-place sheltering that are clearly communicated upfront to the area people. Within the current Moss Touchdown battery fireplace in California, over 1,500 individuals had been evacuated in a comparatively rural setting. That fireplace concerned round 350 batteries and the DOER RFP permits for a lot bigger complexes in Massachusetts.
The federal Environmental Safety Company lately printed “Battery Vitality Storage Methods (BESS): Predominant Issues for Protected Set up and Incident Response” supposed for these large batteries. Two vital concerns discovered are these: “Communities ought to seek the advice of BESS security consultants when contemplating and designing installations,” and “Consider the necessity for neighborhood shelter-in-place or evacuation, relying on the incident and web site.”
DEP and DOER should develop complete steering and apply it to the awards below the current RFP. Massachusetts communities want to grasp and put together for the security dangers offered by these coming large battery services. Frequent sense would inform you no awards ought to be made till that is achieved.
Laurie Belsito is the Coverage Director at Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance
