Safety & Health
Terra-Gen has a proud, strong safety record built upon industry-recognized best practices. It places the utmost priority on the health and safety of communities, landowners and employees – and prioritizes protection of the environment and natural resources.
Terra-Gen built-and-managed BESS units, with the most advanced technology, are proven to be safe and reliable. There has been no harm to neighbors, businesses, the public or the environment from these contemporary modular-enclosure units. Multiple government studies of air, water and soil after BESS incidents have consistently found no air or water contamination exceeding public health thresholds.
BESS units comply with all local and state regulations as well as Underwriter Laboratories, National Electric Code and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards. Terra-Gen adheres to NFPA standards when more strict than the fire code. Terra-Gen will design and build the proposed facility to NFPA 855 standards, which are currently more strict than New York State’s fire code.
Advancing technology, including compartmentalized battery storage units, substantially reduces the possibility of safety incidents.
Industry-wide, incidents from 2018-2023 dropped 97% due to upgraded technology and stricter standards, according to the Electric Power Research Institute. Learn more from the California Energy Storage Alliance in two reports on this website’s Document Center.
In addition, new battery models undergo testing and certification that ensure a failure will not cascade beyond one single container, providing vastly superior protection older units cannot. Engineering of modern containerized battery storage systems includes cutting-edge fire control systems, fire-resistant materials and automated 24/7 monitoring.
Dialogue with First Responders in Progress
Terra-Gen also invests in community relationships. It hires expert firefighters to lead training for first responders and coordinates with fire departments on safety and emergency response plans. Terra-Gen already has met with local fire departments, and conversations that will play a key role in the environmental review process will continue.
Terra-Gen and New York State’s Inter-Agency Fire Safety Working Group
New York State formed its Inter-Agency Fire Safety Working Group to enhance emergency preparedness and outline best practices for safety. Recommendations released in July 2024 included updating the Fire Code of New York State, as well as BESS regulations.
Terra-Gen, as a leader in the industry, has already implemented these recommendations, and its experts provided a key voice in the fire safety group.