Payment plan approved for battery storage project
Kearsage Energy Managing Partner Andrew Bernstein discusses the project with the select board. Photo by Christian Uva
Kearsage Energy Managing Partner Andrew Bernstein discusses the project with the select board. Photo by Christian Uva
MIDDLEBORO - Middleboro Select Board members approved a payment agreement for a proposed energy storage system to be built on Jericho Road.
Four select board members approved a plan at their Aug. 3 meeting that would pay the town $254,360 over 20 years. Select Board Chair Teresa Farley cast the sole vote against the plan, known as a payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT.
She echoed her previous opinion that the agreement was “not appropriate’’ for Middleboro.
The vote was strictly for the payment agreement and not the project itself.
Boston-based Kearsage Energy hopes to build a battery energy storage system that uses rechargeable batteries to store electricity and release it when needed.
This system would result in $10 million in savings over 20 years for customers of Middleboro Gas and Electric, the company’s general manager, Ken Stone, has said.
The battery system charges overnight and discharges during high-demand periods. This results in savings, company representatives said, because the system is used during high-demand periods such as afternoons and evenings, which is the time of day used to set utility rates.
At a lengthy discussion at an earlier meeting on the topic, residents expressed varying opinions.
Some raised concerns about possible safety issues and health risks while others noted that the project would provide a clean energy source that would save money.
At the Aug. 3 meeting, Interim Fire Chief Dana Fontaine expressed support for the storage facility. He said he met with the fire chief in the Town of Sterling, where a similar facility is located.
“He had nothing but good to say’’ about the facility in his town, Fontaine said.
Fontaine was equally enthusiastic. “I think it’s a good idea,’’ he said, noting that such facilities were “the future.’’
He supported the safety protocols the project has in place. The facility is monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week, he said, and immediately shuts down if there is a problem.
Jake Kreyling, a fire captain from the Town of Beverly who spoke on behalf of Kearsage, noted that the safety features continue to improve with each new project.
The company also offers training to fire departments, according to Andrew Bernstein, managing partner at Kearsage.
