Battery Storage and the Grid: NYLCVEF and Con Edison

By Anna Buell

“We cannot green our grid and we cannot achieve the goals set under the CLCPA without safe and effective battery storage, which will bring clean, reliable energy to local communities.” 
— Julie Tighe, New York League of Conservation Voters President. 

As New York develops its renewable energy profile, battery energy storage will play a critical role in grid resilience. On April 22, NYLCV’s Education Fund (NYLCVEF) joined Con Edison for a discussion about the obstacles to implementing battery storage systems and the future of New York’s grid, and the implications for environmental justice. 

NYLCVEF President Julie Tighe, Con Edison’s Michael Tally, Former FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh, NYSERDA’s Bill Oberkehr, and Lydia Wiener of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice. The program was moderated by Claudia Villar-Leeman of the  New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (NY-BEST).

New York City’s grid faces a set of unique challenges that impact decarbonization efforts. Limited space, urban density, and complex city infrastructure work in tandem to impede the grid restructuring needed to facilitate the massive deployment of renewable energy resources that are critical to reaching the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) goals. While there are a variety of energy storage technologies currently available and many more in development, New York City’s high energy demand and limited open land make small, energy-dense batteries the most viable form of energy storage by far. 

Increased energy storage will work to overcome the intermittency challenges of renewable sources and provide enough power during peak use periods in the summer to combat heat-related safety risks.. 

NYLCV President Julie Tighe and Con Edison Energy Storage Strategy Section Manager Michael Tally delivered opening remarks, which were followed by a panel discussion. 

Bill Oberkehr, Senior Project Manager at NYSERDA, began the discussion by addressing the differences between lithium-ion batteries (used in e-bikes and cell phones) and energy storage systems. As the leader of  New York’s interagency fire safety working group for battery energy storage, Oberkehr is well aware of the risks associated with electrical infrastructure and continues to assert the importance of battery storage in reaching the city and state’s climate goals. According to Oberkehr, the New York grid is in dire need of upgrades to move away from fossil fuels. With respect to safety concerns, Oberkehr assured the room that energy storage systems are not as dangerous as many believe and that New York City has many regulations and safety protocols. 

Following Oberkehr, Lydia Weiner, a Policy Advisor at the New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, echoed the importance of increased energy storage infrastructure while calling attention to the importance of education and public awareness. Weiner highlighted that the battery storage movement can gain much-needed community support by appealing to real people and their experiences. Issues of equity and justice should be at the center of these discussions as 13 of the 15 fossil fuel-based peaker plants in NYC operate in environmental justice zones, resulting in high rates of respiratory illness that must be combated through the transition to renewable energy sources.

New York City’s outreach programs, such as the interagency energy storage working group, which focuses on engagement and partnering with the private sector, are key. Moreover, young people and schools are becoming important messengers, especially in households where English isn’t the first language. Religious institutions and community-based outreach are also crucial to shifting perception. Thus, increased education, outreach, and accessible information are integral to successfully deploying battery storage technologies throughout the city. 

To close the panel, Laura Kavanaugh, former FDNY commissioner, expressed that while public agencies are willing and able to make the energy storage transition, there is a need for increased trust and collaboration across all participating city agencies. Despite many public misconceptions, Kavanaugh emphasized the differences in e-bike lithium-ion batteries and energy storage systems, the latter of which has many safety regulations in place in New York City. At the same time, former Commissioner Kavanaugh said that while more regulations regarding lithium-ion batteries have been put in place recently at the city level, more attention is needed for increasing safe e-bike charging infrastructure and outdoor storage in NYC.

Following the panel, there was an open discussion and Q&A to address further challenges and opportunities for energy storage systems. While there remain significant barriers to the widespread adoption of battery storage technologies, Oberkehr notes that New York City’s focus on equipment evaluation and siting is incredibly advanced, and “FDNY is leading the way” in safety. Julie Tighe closed out the conversation with a few key next steps: engage with a wider audience, directly combat misinformation, acknowledge immediate safety concerns head-on, and work to finalize clear safety codes and industry regulations. 

Anna Buell, an undergraduate intern at the New York League of Conservation Voters since January 2025, is a third-year student at New York University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies.