The town of Clymer discussed and approved an extension to their battery storage moratorium for another 12 months during their February meeting. P-J photo by Sara Holthouse

CLYMER — With no new updates from the state on the town’s battery storage moratorium, the town of Clymer discussed and approved extending said moratorium again for another 12 months.

During the February meeting of the town a public hearing was held in regards to this extension, with no members of the public in attendance. Town Supervisor, Brian Willink, said the town originally enacted a local law in 2024 for this moratorium to give the state time to take a look at the potential hazards associated with battery storage.

“We pulled that forward into 2025 with another 12 month extension, and we haven’t heard anything from the state yet at this point,” Willink said. “So, this is basically a proposal to kick it another 12 months down the road.”

With the extension, the battery storage moratorium will be in place until January 31, 2027. Town board member Melissa Murphy asked if extending the moratorium would get the town in trouble with companies or anyone in regards to rights by having a three year moratorium, and Willink said his impression is that they can continue to extend it indefinitely as long as they do it a year at a time.

“I just don’t want to step into that area where we’re in trouble for constitutional rights,” Murphy said.

Willink agreed, but said he was told that they would be fine as long as it was a year at a time.

“We can’t just give it a carte blanche and say we’re never going to do this,” Willink said. “As long as we keep kicking it down the road one year at a time.”

The town board approved the extension of the battery storage moratorium for another 12 months.