Somerset Zoning Board Extends Battery Storage Deadline to September 30

SOMERSET -- July 16, 2026, Somerset Zoning Board defers ruling on Riverside Avenue battery storage facility, extends deadline to September 30. The board voted unanimously at its July 16 meeting to push the application deadline for Somerset Energy Storage LLC's proposed commercial battery energy storage system at 1606 Riverside Avenue to September 30, 2026, after more than three hours of technical testimony failed to produce agreement on whether the project qualifies as an allowed use under existing zoning bylaws. Board chair Steve Catterett said members want to hear from building commissioner James Aguiar, receive a written analysis on the Dover Amendment's applicability, and await findings from the town's newly retained third-party reviewer, Jensen Hughes, before voting. Fire Chief Jameson T.J. Barrows, absent due to a scheduling conflict, submitted a 13-condition letter recommending a Fire Rover remote suppression system, perimeter air quality monitors, mandatory training for Somerset and mutual aid fire departments in Swansea and Dighton, and independent third-party review of the project's plume dispersion study. Flatiron Energy told the board it has agreed to all 13 conditions. Plume study consultant Kevin Marr of Hazard Dynamics testified that worst-case fire modeling showed carbon monoxide concentrations would not exceed serious-health-effect thresholds at ground level anywhere off the property, with the nearest residence now approximately 200 feet from the closest battery enclosure. The next hearing is scheduled for August 6.