Valerie Vislocky moved into a house in Manor Heights on Staten Island in September 2024. 

“We found here, which was like a dream come true. We had exactly everything we wanted,” Vislocky said. “We had a lot of plans to make it, you know, a livable house, a beautiful house for the kids.”

Shortly after she moved into her Tillman Street home, she found what seemed to be a Christmas present on her doorstep, wrapped with a bow.

What You Need To Know

  • Battery energy storage systems store electricity generated during low-usage times to use when the grid gets overburdened. It’s a relatively new technology being utilized to make the energy grid more clean and green

  • Energy companies proposed or are building 180 battery energy storage systems citywide, according to the New York City Department of Buildings 

  • Construction of a battery energy storage system on Tillman Street in Manor Heights on Staten Island was completed earlier this year. NineDot Energy plans to officially turn it on in the summer of 2026

  • The FDNY says before the storage system gets turned on, inspectors make sure it passes emergency shutdown tests

“It had a NineDot water bottle. It had a towel. It had a bunch of things with their logos on it, and then it had a handwritten letter that was going to apologize about all the upcoming construction that was about to happen,” she said. “But it didn’t really elaborate what kind of construction, what kind of project was being built next to us.”

That project was a battery energy storage system, built by the energy company NineDot Energy. 

The letter read, in part: “NineDot Energy is a clean energy developer based out of Brooklyn. Our company strives to create a sustainable energy future in the NYC metro area. We are building an energy storage site at 15-21 Tillman Street to support a more resilient grid in your community. You will receive a notice about the start of construction in the next several weeks.” 

“I’m not opposed to green clean energy,” Vislocky said. “I’m opposed to it being directly next to residential areas.”

According to the New York City Department of Buildings, there are 36 battery energy storage systems in operation, approved or being evaluated on Staten Island. 

Borough President Vito Fossella is charged up about the locations in residential areas. 

“Anybody with a half a brain would say, you know what, what we shouldn’t do is put these next to people’s homes,” he said. “You can argue that, you know, on one grand scheme, it’s good for so-called good for the environment. That’s not the discussion. The discussion is the placement. And the placement next to people’s homes is wrong.” 

The “City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality” initiative, which the New York City Council passed in December 2023, paved the way for projects like the one on Tillman Street by easing zoning restrictions for energy storage systems. 

It’s all part of the city’s goal to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050.  

But many in the Manor Heights community felt blindsided by NineDot’s battery energy storage system, including Joe Territo, the owner of The Manor Restaurant, across the street from the site. 

He says the construction impacted customer flow, causing him to lose tens of thousands of dollars in business.

“I have senior citizens that come, retirees that come for lunch, and they were not able to park, and our outside facility couldn’t be used at all,” he said. “There was too much dust and noise.”

Some residents were unbothered by the building of a battery energy storage system in their neighborhood. One person who lives nearby, but wanted to remain anonymous, told NY1: “If this is going to help the community and humanity, it doesn’t bother me.”

Staten Island Community Board 2, which represents Manor Heights, unanimously passed a resolution opposing the construction of battery energy storage systems in residential areas. 

Anthony Santamaria, the vice president of construction at NineDot Energy, spoke to a lot of frustrated residents at the community board meeting.

“This project fully complies with all New York City zoning, building and fire safety regulations,” he told them. “As-of-right development, it does not require community board approval. However, we recognize that some of you have questions,and we’re here tonight to address them.” 

One of the big questions is how the new battery energy storage system will impact the property values of the houses nearby. 

When asked that question, Santamaria said: “In all honestly, I have not had any evidence presented to me that shows that approximate proximity to a BESS [battery energy storage system] negatively impacts home values. Similarly, I have not found any evidence suggesting that homeowners insurance is affected by a BESS.”

A NineDot Energy spokesperson told NY1 in a statement that battery energy storage systems are safe, and that the company builds every energy storage site to benefit the community, writing: “Those benefits include helping the grid with reliability and resilience on hot summer days, while also reducing pollution in the neighborhoods where the projects are located.” 

The spokesperson added: “FDNY and the DOB permitted the construction on this site, which is expected to be operating in time for the 2026 hot summer season, delivering benefits to the surrounding community like our other sites on Staten Island and the Bronx did this past summer.”

The FDNY says before the storage system gets turned on, inspectors make sure it passes emergency shutdown tests, explaining in a statement: “Our fire code for energy storage systems is widely regarded as one of the most robust and strongest in the country.” 

Vislocky says her husband is a firefighter who had concerns about living next to a battery energy storage system, which is why just over a year after moving into their dream home, they decided to move out. 

“This was happening, whether we wanted it to or not, and that became very clear,” Vislocky said. “And it was like, all right, well, then let’s start looking. So we started looking. We found another place.”

According to the Department of Buildings, Staten Island already has 11 operating battery energy storage systems — more than double the number found in any of the other four boroughs.

A few months after the construction of the Tillman Street battery energy storage system, plans were cancelled for a $300 million battery energy storage system on nearby Victory Boulevard. The developer did not give a reason for the termination. 

Vislocky believes even though she was unable to cancel the project next to her home, she made enough noise to help others. 

“We let everybody know we don’t want this in our neighborhood,” Vislocky said. “We raised all this commotion, and they closed down Travis, which was supposed to be the largest East Coast site. So, you know, it’s just doing something.”

Earlier this week, NineDot Energy announced it will be participating in the New York Statewide Solar for All program, which generates funds for low-income families to help them pay their utility bills.

NineDot Energy says they will be able to generate 60 million in energy credits for low-income New Yorkers within a decade. The goal is to share the financial benefits of these storage projects with utility customers who are enrolled in Energy Affordability Programs.