Residents Unite to Oppose Battery Storage Projects in Long Island Communities

More than 70 residents gathered on June 5 at American Legion Post 190 on Glen Head Road in Glen Head for a rally featuring speeches from officials and community members. This event was organized by a grassroots coalition of citizens from Long Beach, Glen Head, Glenwood Landing, and Sea Cliff, who are opposing the proposed Oyster Shore Energy Storage project and advocating for a ban on lithium-ion battery facilities near residential areas.

During the rally, Christina Kramer, a Long Beach resident and president of Protect Our Coast LINY, an activist group with around 6,000 members, expressed her concerns. “I asked them if this is safe,” she recounted, noting that the representatives compared the project to using a toaster oven or a hair dryer. “I have a choice whether I want to use my microwave or my hair dryer,” she said. “You have not been transparent and given me a choice if I want to put this in front of my community.”

The Propel NY project aims to introduce three new underground electrical transmission connections across Long Island. With a budget of $3.2 billion, it will include 89.7 miles of underground transmission lines covering several New York counties. Construction is expected to begin in mid-2026 and last for up to four years, with completion anticipated by mid-2030. Crews are projected to progress between 50 and 150 feet per day. New York already has 11,000 miles of transmission lines, with 241 miles being underground 345kV lines similar to the Propel NY project.

Susan Craig, the director for media relations at the New York Power Authority, assured attendees that health and safety are top priorities for the Propel NY Energy project. She stated that they would prioritize safety and minimize traffic and land use impacts through comprehensive plans and coordination with first responders.

Doug Augenthaler, a Glen Head resident and vocal critic of the projects, emphasized that the community’s opposition is not against green energy but rather focused on safety and sound investments. “We are not anti-green. We are pro-safety,” he declared. Augenthaler criticized several projects, including offshore windmills and battery storage facilities, stating they “don’t pass the smell test.”

The Propel NY project is currently awaiting permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the State Public Service Commission. Craig expressed confidence in Propel’s adherence to state requirements, noting a comprehensive Electric and Magnetic Field study was conducted and confirmed that the project complies with New York State’s EMF standards.

Speakers at the rally also called for a ban on lithium-ion battery facilities, referencing the potential for another developer to use the existing Global Petroleum terminal near Glen Head Road, following the cancellation of a contract by Jupiter Power, a Texas-based battery storage company. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman emphasized the need for local control over such projects, stating, “Local communities should determine what is in their communities.”

Several speakers pointed to past incidents, such as wildfires in California, highlighting the dangers associated with such facilities. Nassau County Legislator Samantha Goetz warned, “We are all united on not having these types of storage facilities in our local neighborhoods. They are dangerous. We do not have the ability to put these fires out.”

Nassau County Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton acknowledged support for green energy but emphasized the need for better understanding and technology. She echoed the call for local governance over these projects, asserting, “We need to keep our local government in charge.”

Christine Panzeca, one of the event’s organizers, concluded the rally with a plea to the federal government to review the impact of these projects on local communities, stating, “It’s just unjust what’s being done to Long Island.”