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Groundbreaking: New York’s Largest Lithium- Ion Battery Storage Project at Luther Forest
SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Sept. 26 Key Capture Energy LLC, held a groundbreaking ceremony for the KCE NY 1 facility. The KCE NY 1 facility is a 20 megawatt (MW) utility-scale battery storage project, located at the Luther Forest Technology Campus. The Groundbreaking took place at 30 Substation Rd. in Saratoga Springs.
The project is the largest lithium-ion battery storage project in New York State and supports Governor Cuomo’s commitment for the state to reach 1,500 MW of energy storage by 2025. In addition to enabling the creation of 25 construction jobs and nine full-time positions, the facility will provide clean energy to enhance power grid performance and reliability, addressing the needs of advanced technology companies and promoting further economic and job growth in Saratoga County.
“We are glad to initiate construction of our KCE NY 1 project,” said Dan Fitzgerald, Chief Development Officer of Key Capture Energy.
“We are fully committed to supporting the Governor’s vision for an aggressive Clean Energy Standard, as well as to bringing local jobs and energy storage solutions to New York State, starting right here in Saratoga County. We thank the Town of Stillwater, Saratoga County, Luther Forest Technology Campus, the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership, the Mechanicville- Stillwater Industrial Development Agency, NYISO, and NYSEG for their support and collaboration to help move this important project forward,” he added.
As previously reported, according to Fitzgerald, the project will be completely built and operational by the end of January in 2019 and is private equity backed. Fitzgerald also noted that the installation at Luther Forest will be situated behind natural land rises and tucked away behind trees so it will not be visible to the naked eye.
Key Capture Energy worked with the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership, the county’s designated economic development agency, to secure incentives to enable the project to move forward. Key Capture Energy is an energy storage development company focused on becoming the leading east- coast independent developer for utility-scale battery storage projects being responsive to needs of an intermittent grid. Key Capture Energy, headquartered in Albany, identifies opportune locations, sites, develops, deploys and operates energy storage systems.
Saratoga Partnership President Marty Vanags said, “We congratulate Key Capture Energy as it launches construction of this next-generation facility, which represents a significant investment in the economic, energy, and environmental future of Saratoga County. We are delighted to have assisted the company in advancing this important clean-energy project, and especially pleased to be leading the first development on the Luther Forest Technology Campus since GlobalFoundries.”
Governor Cuomo Issues Apology to Local 7-Year-Old’s Lemonade Stand Shutdown
Photo provided.
BALLSTON SPA — On July 27 a state health inspector shut down seven-year-old Brendan Mulvaney’s lemonade stand outside his home in Ballston Spa. Mulvaney sells lemonade, water and sno-cowns to those attending the Saratoga County Fair since he neighbors the fairgrounds. Mulvaney was saving money for a family trip to Disney World.
According to Sen. Jim Tedisco, who drafted new legislation to keep child-run lemonade stands open in New York, the state Health Inspector triedtaking a picture of Mulvaney and his sign selling lemonade. Mulvaney was forced to stop selling lemonade and was told he needed a permit or else he would be fined. Since the incident the New York Department of Health (DOH) has issued an apology on July 29 and stated that the “agency does not inspect children’s lemonade stands” and that the DOH “does not issue permits for or oversee lemonade stands.” However, the DOH has since retracted that statement and said that Mulvaney needs a permit.
In a dramatic turn of events, by July 31, Governor Cuomo personally issued an apology to the Mulvaney family and stated, “Today I directed the Department ofHealthtoreacharesolutionwith the Mulvaney family to ensure that Brendan’s Lemonade Stand can continue to operate. If a permit is needed, I will personally pay for any necessary fees. We support Brendan’s entrepreneurial spirit and wish him the best of luck.”
According to state regulations a “temporary food service establishment” is a place where food is prepared or handled and served to the public, with or without charge, and which operates at a fixed location in conjunction with a single event or celebration of not more than 14 consecutive days duration. It also states that a temporary food service establishment shall obtain and display a valid permit from an issuing official authorized by the State Commissioner of Health.
“Based on that directive that the governor issued, we had a thoughtful conversation with Mr. Mulvaney, during that call we clarified was does and does not require a permit by department practice. Mr. Mulvaney indicated that his son wishes to sell lemonade only and we told him if that’s the case then no permit would be required,” said Gary Holmes, a spokesperson for the DOH.
“As part of this overall discussion, we spoke in Senator Tedsico’s office as well... What made this situation unique is that we arrived at the lemonade stand at the request of four permanent vendors inside the fair, and when we arrived at that location we did not see children present, we interacted with an adult and we were of the opinion that the set up was very much inline with what the vendors who were on permit were doing,” he added.
It is not out of the ordinary for the DOH to attend county fairs. The DOH inspects fairgrounds and requires permits to ensure public health and to protect the public from potential food born illnesses.
Tedisco’s bill would exempt children who operate pop-up lemonade stands under adult supervision from having to obtain and pay for any state permits.
