Northampton Town Board Approves Environmental Moratorium

Moratorium aims to delay proposed lithium-ion battery energy storage facility

Mar. 20, 2026 at 4:33am

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The Northampton Town Board in New York voted unanimously to approve a one-year environmental moratorium, which could delay the construction of a proposed lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) facility by developer Carson Power. The town is concerned about the facility's potential environmental impact and wants time to tighten regulations, but the wording of the moratorium has raised some doubts about its effectiveness in stopping the project.

Why it matters

The proposed BESS facility has sparked concerns among Northampton residents and environmental advocates about potential fire risks and the facility's proximity to protected wetlands. The town is seeking to exert more control over the project, which was quickly approved by the Adirondack Park Agency despite the town's past struggles to get projects approved.

The details

The Northampton Town Board voted unanimously to approve a one-year environmental moratorium that could delay the construction of a proposed lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) facility by developer Carson Power. The town is concerned about the facility's potential environmental impact and wants time to tighten regulations, but some organizers believe the wording of the moratorium may not be strong enough to actually impact the Carson Power project. More than 100 people attended the town board meeting, with residents and environmental advocates voicing concerns about past fires at BESS facilities and the facility's closeness to protected wetlands. The town supervisor acknowledged the town could be sued if the moratorium language was too strong against the specific Carson Power project, as they would be "fighting the state of New York and Carson Power."

  • The Northampton Town Board voted on the moratorium during their meeting on Thursday, March 20, 2026.
  • The moratorium could push back construction of the BESS facility by giving the town a year to tighten environmental regulations and consider other approaches.

The players

Northampton Town Board

The governing body of the town of Northampton, New York that voted unanimously to approve the environmental moratorium.

Carson Power

A New York City-based developer that has an approved project by the Adirondack Park Agency to build a lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) facility in Northampton.

James Groff

The Northampton Town Supervisor who stated the town board is not in control of the BESS facility project, which was "planned by the state and Carson Power long before they ever came up here."

Sara Will-White

An organizer who expressed concerns that the wording of the moratorium is not strong enough to impact the Carson Power development.

Sean Frusco

A senior developer at Carson Power who previously stated the project will not harm the environment or start fires, and emphasized the facility will increase affordability and strengthen the electricity grid.

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What they’re saying

“This thing has been planned by the state and Carson Power long before they ever came up here.”

— James Groff, Northampton Town Supervisor

“It says new BESS projects, as if it might not apply to this project. And that's just a risk I'm-- me and the community is unwilling to take.”

— Sara Will-White, Organizer

“I'm not gonna put the town in jeopardy by putting them in a lawsuit. You're fighting the state of New York and Carson Power, and what am I, a little town.”

— James Groff, Northampton Town Supervisor

What’s next

After the meeting, organizer Sara Will-White said she intends to file an Article 78 lawsuit against the Adirondack Park Agency to challenge their approval of the BESS facility.

The takeaway

The Northampton Town Board's approval of an environmental moratorium highlights the tensions between local control and state-level development projects. While the town seeks to exert more oversight, the wording of the moratorium and the threat of lawsuits from the developer and state raise doubts about its effectiveness in stopping the proposed BESS facility.