Southtowns Record

Supporting Documents — PB-BESS-Draft-PublicHearing-BESS-Law-Rev15-10Aug26.pdf

Government
Town of Colden
Board
Town Board
Meeting
Sep 2, 2026
Kind
Agenda packet
Topics
Energy and data center siting, Zoning and land use, Public safety, Water, sewer and drainage, Budget and taxes, Audits and oversight, Housing

Original document

Same meeting

Text · page 10 of 17

Read the whole document on one page (all 17 pages, each with its own heading)

Draft Colden Chapter #101 Battery Energy Storage Systems
  Planning Board Revision #15 (dated 8/10/26)

  G. Decommissioning.
  1. Decommissioning Plan. The applicant shall submit a decommissioning plan, developed in
  accordance with the Uniform Code, to be implemented upon abandonment and/or in conjunction
  with removal from the facility. The decommissioning plan shall include:
  (a) A narrative description of the activities to be accomplished, including who will perform
  that activity and at what point in time, for complete physical removal of all battery
  energy storage system components, structures, equipment, security barriers, and
  transmission lines from the site;
  (b) Disposal of all solid and hazardous waste in accordance with local, state, and federal waste
  disposal regulations;
  (c) The anticipated life of the battery energy storage system;
  (d) The estimated decommissioning costs and how said estimate was determined;
  (e) The method of ensuring that funds will be available for decommissioning and restoration;
  (f) The method by which the decommissioning cost will be kept current;
  (g) The manner in which the site will be restored, including a description of how any
  changes to the surrounding areas and other systems adjacent to the battery energy
  storage system, such as, but not limited to, structural elements, building
  penetrations, means of egress, and required fire detection suppression systems, will
  be protected during decommissioning and confirmed as being acceptable after the
  system is removed; and
  (h) A listing of any contingencies for removing an intact operational energy storage
  system from service, and for removing an energy storage system from service that
  has been damaged by a fire or other event.
  (i) The Plan shall illustrate that the decommissioning costs are properly covered in the
  applications submission of a bond in an amount adequate to fully cover decommissioning
  costs, including remediation and restoration of land to the pre-BESS condition(s). The
  value of the bond evaluated every 5 years for covering estimated costs and the amount
  of the bond must be adjusted in the event that the bond value no longer covers a realistic
  decommissioning/remediation cost going forward in time The bond must be in a form
  and means acceptable to the Colden Town Attorney, including provisions defined for
  liquidation of the bond by the Town when necessary.
  2. Decommissioning Fund. The owner and/or operator of the energy storage system, shall
  continuously maintain a fund or bond payable to the Town of Colden, in a form approved by the
  Town for the removal of the battery energy storage system, in an amount to be determined by
  the Town of Colden, for the period of the life of the facility. The applicant’s proposed value of
  the fund shall be reviewed and a report as to the adequacy of the fund will be prepared after
  review by the Colden Town Engineer, at which time the Colden Town Attorney will examine
  that estimate and Town Engineer report and the Town Attorney will issue an acceptance or
  rejection determination. If the amount is acceptable, the fund may consist of a letter of credit
  from a State of New York licensed-financial institution or other security acceptable to the Town
  of Colden. All costs of the financial security shall be borne by the applicant.

H. Site plan application. All Tier 2 Battery Energy Storage Systems shall require a Special Use Permit,
  and site plan approval shall be required, relevant submissions under NYS SEQRA, and including
  submission of any and all supplemental data, design details, and drawings which are requested by

TOWN OF COLDEN – BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS  10