Back to questions and answers This history preserves the anonymized wording and earlier written responses in the imported project records. Earlier responses may describe a previous design or contain wording now under review. Use the linked consolidated question for the current response status.
A source record can contain several questions. These records are not a count of individual submissions or people. Original messages and dates are still being reconciled; this history does not establish that every project submission has been captured.
Search the history SourceAll sources OEJE / DPP Pre-Filing Engagement Consultation Charlton Select Board Meeting Charlton Planning Board Meeting Public Community Meeting #1 Community Public Forum Website and email Related questionAll questions What exactly is being proposed? How much land, and how much is cleared? Is this a data center, or could it become one? Is this treated like a power plant? Who is behind this project, and who is paying for it? Is this project subsidized? Is it leased land, or will ESA buy it? What does it cost, and what will you sell it for? What kind of owner buys it, and how does it make money? Could the project grow? How long do the batteries last, and are they recycled? How much power does it store in a year? Why Charlton, and why this site? Why not Springfield, an industrial site, or somewhere else? Who decided this was needed? Was this picked as the best and safest site? Charlton already has solar, a power plant, gas storage. Why add this? How did the site score on the state suitability tool? Were the road and utility upgrades done for this project? Who benefits financially from this location, and who carries the risk? Can you guarantee a battery fire will not happen? How is the equipment tested for fire? How long would a fire burn? Would firefighters just let it burn? What about smoke and our lungs? How far would it go? Would smoke settle in a valley near homes? Is there an evacuation plan? What about Route 20 backups? Can Charlton's fire department respond? Is fire equipment and training a benefit, or a project cost? Where will firefighters get water? Will there be a fire pond? How will a lightning strike be kept from causing a fire? What substances could be released in a fire or failure? Vent panels, water inside the cabinet, sensor power Why not put the batteries in a building with filters? What about the fires in California and elsewhere? What if someone shoots it? How far apart and how thick are the cabinets? Is money set aside for residents if a fire causes damage? Will my insurance go up? Will the emergency plan be independently reviewed and public? One equipment maker, a U.S. supplier, testing the whole site? Could a different design or battery type (sodium-ion) reduce risk? Will the project contaminate my well? Wells within a mile? How will firefighting water be kept out of wells? How many private wells are near the site? Will my well be tested, and who pays if it changes? What legal protection exists if contamination shows up years later or after a sale? Will the facility use local water or change the water table? Has a hydrogeologic study been done? Why present the project before the studies are done? Will clearing trees make flooding worse? How much water does an acre hold? Will you contain all of the site's runoff, with a liner? How close is it to Cady Brook? Will there be blasting, and could it affect my well? Is the old gas station spill related to this project? How can I ask about conditions at my own property? How loud will it be? Where does the noise come from? Will it run at night? What will the sound study measure? What noise limit applies, and who enforces it? Can you build a sound barrier now? What about construction noise and trucks? The 'light rainfall' comparison understates it. Will property values go down? Will it change the rural character, views, and quiet? What about wildlife and habitat? What will construction do to the land and roads? How many homes are within a quarter mile, half mile, mile? Are there comparable facilities with 10 years of history? How do we know a new owner will keep the promises? Who pays to remove the batteries and restore the site? Can the town block a sale? Will ESA fund an enforcement escrow? Other towns have had disputes with owners. Could that happen here? What stops it being abandoned or poorly maintained? ESA is in Florida. How will it stay involved? Who makes sure the promises are kept? Has ESA built or operated one before? What does Charlton actually get? What is a PILOT, and why use one? How much would Charlton receive? Will my electric bill go down? Where does the power go in a blackout? Will it back up my home? Who enforces the Community Benefits Plan? Will the plan go to Town Meeting? What about the ideas residents proposed? Where are the results of the benefits activity? Will local people and businesses be hired? Who decides what the town needs? Will a resident board oversee it? Can the plan fund school STEM programs? Is this going ahead whether we like it or not? How do we stop it? Does the state override local zoning? How can residents participate and get funding or expert help? When will you file? What is the timeline? Will anyone independent review it? Has the combined effect of everything in the area been studied? Will our feedback change anything? Nothing is finished. Why should anyone decide now? When is the next public meeting? Will it be longer, elsewhere, with experts? Can I talk with the team live? Where can I find meeting recordings, slides, and written answers? How fast will you answer my comment? Where is the Participate link? How do I join the Citizen Advisory Committee? Who is on it? How do I get updates by email? Where can I find more detail? I am a reporter or researcher. My email to the project went unanswered. How do town revenues compare with the project's costs to Charlton? How do I RSVP, get a meeting link, or confirm the time? Will the project use a Facebook page?
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Public Community Meeting #1 · July 8, 2026 Would you be willing to enclose the system in a building with filtering so it does not vent to the atmosphere?Earlier published response No, and we avoid doing this because enclosing batteries in buildings increases safety risks. Historically, the 2019 explosion in Surprise, Arizona, showed that sealed structures allow flammable gases to accumulate, causing a backdraft when opened. More recently, building-housed fires at Otay Mesa (May 2024) and Moss Landing (January 2025) demonstrated that even with ventilation, buildings trap extreme heat, accelerate cascading runaway between racks, and block direct firefighter access, prolonging the fires for days. Our open-air, containerized design prevents gas and heat accumulation, isolates potential incidents to a single steel cabinet, and ensures emergency responders have immediate, 360-degree access to cool the units.
How the issues were handled A written response is recorded. Sending an individual reply, considering feedback, and making a design change require separate evidence.
Why not put the batteries in a building with filters? 