Cuddy + Feder Managing Partner Anthony Gioffre and Partner Alec Gladd participated in the Westchester Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Conference on October 19, at the Westchester County Center in White Plains.
The conference brought together more than 200 municipal officials, planning and zoning board members, public safety professionals, and industry representatives to discuss battery storage development, regulation, and safety. Westchester County organized the program in partnership with the Business Council of Westchester’s Clean Energy Action Coalition and other regional organizations.
Tony and Alec joined the program’s legal panel, addressing municipal authority, zoning, permitting, and local battery storage regulations. Their discussion included an update on Yorktown ESS, LLC v. Town of Yorktown Zoning Board of Appeals and its implications for the legal standard applied to BESS applications.
They emphasized the importance of municipalities taking a proactive approach to battery storage, including updating comprehensive plans and zoning codes to accommodate and appropriately regulate the technology. Their remarks addressed how communities can advance clean energy infrastructure while maintaining practical safeguards for public safety.
Public safety and community planning were central to the discussion, with participants examining advances in battery storage technology and how local regulations can address safety concerns. The conference drew municipal officials, public safety professionals, and industry representatives, reflecting broad interest in how battery storage can support the County’s energy needs.
Read more about the conference in The Westfair Business Journal and The Yonkers Times.
