New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the formation of a new interagency fire safety task force to oversee the safe operation of energy storage systems in the state. This comes after several recent fires involving energy storage projects in the state. The task force will be led by state government officials from multiple agencies and will examine the safety of energy storage projects to prevent fires.
Noah Roberts, vice president of energy storage at the American Clean Power Association, said the task force can help elevate national standards and codes to ensure safe deployment and operation of storage facilities.
New York is not the only state grappling with safety challenges as large-scale energy storage is deployed rapidly. Experts are calling for increased communication to address safety gaps.
