Documents › Board of Trustees Work Session, 2026-06-24

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A presentation to the Village Board of Trustees dated June 24, 2026, by Lindsay Audin, chair of the Croton Sustainability Committee, on revenue from hosting battery energy storage systems (BESS) on Village-owned land, with the Pumphouse Road campus cited as an example site. Audin says developers are paying roughly $30,000 to $40,000 per megawatt per year to rent sites, so a 5 MW system on Village property could boost Village revenue by $150,000 to $200,000 per year. He asks the Village to pay a local consultant $2,000 to help him run the site list, RFI/RFP and bid-analysis work, which he says could be completed by early fall.

Revenue Opportunities From Revenue Opportunities From Batt Battery Energy Storage Systems (BE (BESS) In CrotonPresented to Croton’s Village B Presented to Croton’s Village Board of TrusteesJune 24, 2026 June 24, 2026b by (Mr.) Lindsay y (Mr.) Lindsay Audin AudinCEM LEED CEM LEED-AP APchair, Croton Sustainability chair, Croton Sustainability Committee Committee BESS As An Opportunity, Not A Risk BESS As An Opportunity, Not A RiskVia Via its local its local government, a community can government, a community can secure fi secure financial benefits from a BESS.Due to recent Due to recent changes in federal incentives, a “batte a “battery gold rush” has BESS developers seeking p seeking potential sites in our region.Some property o Some property owners are now sharing in that opport that opportunity by utilizing available sites and power and power lines for commercial-scale BESS. scale BESS.Think o Think of a BESS as an “avenue to revenue avenue to revenue.” .”2 BESS Come In Several Sizes BESS Come In Several Sizes (EV battery is ~50-100 kWh) All help reduce grid stress, cut GHGs, support renewable energy, and other non-financial benefits. Croton’s 3.5 MW / 15 Croton’s 3.5 MW / 15 MWhr MWhrBESS… BESS……has ~100 …has ~100 tons of lithium lithium-iron iron-phosphate phosphate(LFP) (LFP) batte batteries in four ~50-foot white steel cabinets. The foot white steel cabinets. They are are heavier/larger than than the old Li the old Li-I NMC units, but I NMC units, but LFPs LFPs have a much better fire safety record.Each cabin Each cabinet holds holds hundreds of batteries, each hundreds of batteries, each enclose enclosed in a plastic housing. They housing. They hold enough hold enough power power to run ~700 average homes for 24 hours. homes for 24 hours. Our sy Our system is charged up by the ~4.2 MW of solar pane panels atop the canopies. Due to changes in BESS ince incentives, “standalone” installations (i.e., no solar) are are now instead the norm.4 But Why Host But Why Host Another AnotherBESS? BESS?Think of it as Think of it as a big ATM that dispenses wealth.A B A BESS “arbitrages” the value of “arbitrages” the value of electricity electricity by by char charging up when up when wholesale wholesale power power pricing is pricing is low low, and discharging , and discharging when it when it spikes spikes, earning a , earning a bundl bundle off the spread. It also gets $ from grid “ancil “ancillary services” services” and govt. incentives and govt. incentives.So So -what might that be worth to Croton? what might that be worth to Croton?To rent a To rent a site, developers are paying ~$30,000 to ~ to ~$40,000 per peryear year per perMW. MW. 5 5A A 5 MW system 5 MW system on on Village property could Village property could boost boost Village annual Village annual rev revenueby by $150,000 $150,000 to $200,000 per to $200,000 per year. year. BESS Installations Are Now Standardized BESS Installations Are Now Standardized As As of of 1/1/2026, NY 1/1/2026, NY State’s fire State’s fire code code adopted NFPA adopted NFPA-855 855 specs for specs for BESS BESS project project design design, installation , installation, etc , etc.Product Productspecs specs are now standard are now standard in in the the industry and industry and adhere adhere to to both UL both UL codes and to NYSERDA standards. codes and to NYSERDA standards.6 Yorktown 5 MW BESSFollo Following those stds stds./specs enforces fire safety ./specs enforces fire safety. BESS Opportunities in Croton BESS Opportunities in CrotonThe Village own The Village owns plots of land that could be reviewed as potential BESS could be reviewed as potential BESS sites, e.g., sites, e.g., Pumphouse PumphouseRoad campus. Road campus.Each must be near a power line wi Each must be near a power line with “hosting capacity”, i.e., able to supp “hosting capacity”, i.e., able to supply power to, and accept power from, power to, and accept power from, a BESS. Croton has several, e.g., the BESS. Croton has several, e.g., the one serving the train station PV/BE one serving the train station PV/BESS.BESS BESS developers identify and qualify developers identify and qualify such sites. Through a competitive b such sites. Through a competitive bid, the winner is the one who offers t the winner is the one who offers the highest rent highest rentto use the best site(s). to use the best site(s).7 8To pu To pursue these competitive opportunities requires a lot of work, e.g., cr e.g., create lists of acceptable sites and qualified developers, write/dist write/distribute a RFI and RFP, analyze/compare/summarize bids, propos propose a winner, etc.I’m asking the Village to I’m asking the Village to pay a local consultant $ pay a local consultant $2,000 to help me 2,000 to help me do it do it. In 2024, they did a great job managing the renewal of our . In 2024, they did a great job managing the renewal of our Silver C Silver Climate Smart Community (CSC) Certification.Based on a detail Based on a detailed Scope Of Work (SOW) approved by the Village Man Village Manager, we could complete the work by early fall. Doing so woul so would expedite identifying an acceptable site and reserving the requi the required hosting capacity beforeit’s gone. it’s gone.What Lindsay W What Lindsay Wants Thank you for Thank you for your your time and a time and attention. .