Planning Board Continues Hearing On Battery Storage Plan
Somerset Planning Board continued its hearing on a 168-megawatt battery storage project after three hours of tense questioning.
Planning Board · Meeting of March 31, 2026
Somerset Planning Board continued its hearing on a 168-megawatt battery storage project after three hours of tense questioning. Member Nicole McDonald repeatedly pressed Flatiron Energy project manager Hannah Larkin on whether the company would abide by the town's decision or appeal to the state Energy Facility Siting Board, calling the application "a complete and utter joke." The board voted 5-0 to continue the hearing to April 14 and voted 4-1, with Clerk Lloyd Mendes dissenting, to have Town Counsel Arthur Frank explore transferring the project to the state siting board. VHB's Joe Cappellino said the 177 Tesla battery units would sit as close as 54 feet from homes on Stevens Street.
Resident Dr. Paul Healey urged the board to require a one-mile impact study. The board also voted unanimously to seek a 30-day extension, to April 30, from the applicant.
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Source: the Planning Board meeting of March 31, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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