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DUNKIRK – The Battery Energy Storage System project planned for a wooded area off Brigham Road has received an award from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
The authority announced awards for eight new bulk energy storage projects and 13 large-scale renewable energy projects, including GCI Lighthouse Energy's power storage project in Dunkirk.
The amount of the awards was not mentioned in NYSERDA's press release.
The awards "are the result of NYSERDA'S first Bulk Energy Storage solicitation and its 2025 Tier 1 Renewable Energy Standard solicitation," according to the release. "By producing and storing clean energy, these projects will provide public health benefits from reduced exposure to harmful pollutants and are expected to provide over $127 million in economic benefits to disadvantaged communities, as defined by the Climate Justice Working Group."
GCI Lighthouse plans a BESS that would use 11 acres of an 18-acre parcel for battery storage. Large-scale BESS systems store electricity for release into the power grid at times of high demand.
A GCI Lighthouse representative told the Dunkirk Planning Board in November that the proposed BESS could store up to 250 megawatts of energy. He claimed that it would take about 2,000 solar panels to generate the equivalent amount of energy.
The board approved GCI Lighthouse's project, and it is not supposed to be affected by a moratorium on new BESS projects passed this month by the Common Council.
Dunkirk reportedly has a Payment In Lieu of Taxes agreement with GCI Lighthouse that would pump about $1 million a year over the next 25 years into the financially sick city government's veins.
GCI Lighthouse's project is a separate endeavor from another proposed BESS in Dunkirk, which is on hold after the council approved its moratorium. That project by Gridi Development would place a much smaller array, but on land much nearer to Brigham Road, than GCI Lighthouse's plan.
NYSERDA's release states that award winners "were selected through a competitive process that included bid proposals from 46 projects totaling approximately 6 GW of capacity."
According to NYSERDA, "Payments under these contracts will not commence until projects have begun commercial operation, after having obtained all required permits and local approvals. All projects are expected to be placed in-service by the end of 2030 as required by the 2024 Public Service Commission's Energy Storage Order.
"The contracted projects will use lithium-ion technology and, as with all NYSERDA-supported energy storage projects, are contractually required to meet the new storage safety codes that became effective Jan. 1, 2026, and reflect the work and recommendations of the New York State Inter-Agency Fire Safety Working Group. These safety codes, which are among the most robust in the nation, ensure that first responders have the necessary training, facilities are sited safely, and that all sites have comprehensive emergency response plans."