Code Red consultant Jay Arroyati told the Saugerties Town Board that battery energy storage systems require site-specific hazard analyses, equipment listing/testing and coordinated emergency response plans, and emphasized that codes (NFPA 855) and peer reviews are central to managing fire and plume risks.

The board discussed adopting a community Climate Action Plan that sets greenhouse-gas reduction targets; some members called it aspirational while others asked for clearer implementation language. The board voted to "deal" (table) the resolution pending edits and legal review.

Multiple residents and clean-energy organizers spoke in favor of the KeyCapture/ BESS battery storage proposal, stressing grid reliability, emissions reduction and local safety protocols while a HAZMAT chief described a contained incident as evidence standards work.

Public comments at the Saugerties Town Board meeting ranged from calls for a moratorium and legal challenges to endorsements highlighting grid reliability, as the supervisor urged reliance on the planning process, ZBA review and independent consultants before local approvals.

Public commenters at the Saugerties town board meeting on Sept. 16 debated a proposed lithium-ion battery storage project. Opponents raised safety, environmental and surveillance concerns; supporters said modern battery systems are safe and needed to enable more solar and wind power.