To Governor Maura Healy and all relevant state agencies, including the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, the Energy Facilities Siting Board, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, and the Office of the State Fire Marshal as well as local town leaders of Duxbury Select Board, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals:

We, the undersigned residents and supporters of Duxbury, strongly oppose the proposed construction of an industrial battery energy storage facility, operated by New Leaf Energy, in a residential area of our town.

Our Concerns
Public Safety Risks: Battery energy storage systems carry risks of fire, chemical leakage, and explosion. Locating such a facility near homes, schools, and natural areas puts families, first responders, and our entire community in danger.  There have been multiple recent, serious battery farm fires in California, Arizona and New York, prompting communities to reevaluate these projects.  Duxbury Fire Department does not support this and has not received a comprehensive safety and fire plan. 

Environmental Impact: The proposed site threatens wetlands, wildlife habitats, and the health of our natural resources including the coastal areas and water supply. Any contamination or accident could have long-term or permanent damage to Duxbury’s sensitive environment.

Residential Character: Our neighborhoods are not appropriate for heavy industrial projects. A battery farm would disrupt the quiet residential setting, reduce property values, increase noise from the highway and undermine the town’s character.

Inadequate Zoning Fit: This type of industrial-scale facility does not belong in a residentially zoned area.  The proposed site sits within feet of neighbors’ backyards.  New Leaf’s own website states that these storage facilities are ideally sited in industrial or commercial zones.

Long term viability of New Leaf Energy:   On its company LinkedIn page, New Leaf publicly announced a layoff of 20% of their employees in July 2025, citing the need to downsize due to the Federal government’s decision to end the investment tax credit (ITC) for solar and wind energy.  In light of the Trump Administration’s recent halting of the Rhode Island Wind Farm, what happens if this company fails to exist once this project is completed?  Who is responsible for the continuous monitoring of this facility and these batteries?  Will Duxbury and its residents be left holding the bag?

Prior Precedents: The residents of the town of Wendell, MA were able to stop a similar project by New Leaf Energy, citing similar concerns.  The residents of Wendell were able to secure enough opposition to the project that New Leaf deemed the project to be not worth their time and have now moved on to our community.   

Our Request
We respectfully urge the Town of Duxbury and the relevant state agencies to deny approval of this project in any residential zone. We ask decision-makers to protect public health, safety, welfare and the character of our community by requiring that any such facilities be located only in appropriate, industrially zoned areas far from homes, schools, and sensitive environmental areas.  In addition, any such project of similar scale with environmental and safety risks should require an independent and thorough investigation of the causes and prevention of battery fires must take place before any of these energy storage systems are installed in Massachusetts.

Conclusion
Duxbury residents value safety, community, and environmental stewardship. We call on our local and state leaders to put the well-being of residents first and deny the siting of this project in our neighborhoods.