A Much-Needed Break

Sometimes, a trip and fall requires a few moments to gather your wits about you, dust off and try to move forward at a slower, steadier pace.

The debate over battery energy storage systems, or BESS, in Southampton Town Hall hasn’t been pleasant, but in many ways it should be a moment of pride. Local government is supposed to be responsive to its citizens; citizens are supposed to take the initiative to be active in the process when they can still have a say, rather than complaining afterward. With BESS, both things have happened — which is something to celebrate.

Hampton Bays residents came to the discussion already a bit surly: They haven’t forgotten that whole “neutralize the opposition” business, and they are still a bit raw and less than confident in “the process.” Any hint of a fait accompli, and they will prove to be as passive as Virginia creeper. With its recent missteps, Town Hall has created a fully engaged hamlet, for better or worse.

At first, the objections and concerns about BESS proposals in Hampton Bays were largely dismissed by town officials (and, it must be said, this space) as knee-jerk reactions. But as the debate continued, the opponents did their homework and, to even casual listeners, were asking sensible questions that didn’t seem to bring satisfying answers. They were in the dark, but it quickly became apparent that so were the decision-makers, on a lot of points.

And then BESS facilities started catching fire. There was a small incident in East Hampton, but there have been others in the state, and bigger incidents in other parts of the country. Suddenly, concerns about evacuation and fire suppression were not just hyperbole. Even Governor Kathy Hochul recognized that the green electricity cart was very much before the horse, and the state began to retreat.

Two things can be true at the same time. Green energy has momentum, and it will bring infrastructure needs that must be addressed. That includes BESS facilities for a region that’s swinging hard on wind and solar energy. There very well might not be enough “industrial zones” on the South Fork, or on the East End — siting these facilities in neighborhoods might be a necessary evil.

Yet Hampton Bays neighbors have raised important questions. The technology varies, and is improving, but it’s not to a point where fires are a rarity. In a community with tight quarters, there are legitimate fears about how those incidents might affect firefighters, the environment, the transportation system. Until there are clear, sensible answers, it’s folly to push forward.

Town officials are wise to make a tactical retreat after stumbling on BESS. The best way forward will be to continue with what’s worked so far: lots of conversation, and truly listen to the objections.