The small dearly loved village of Raquette Lake, NY in the heart of the six-million-acre forest preserve called the Adirondack State Park needs your help. National Grid has signed a seven-year contract with Rev Renewables, a multi-billion dollar power company, to build a $60 million utility-scale energy storage facility 500 feet from Raquette Lake’s library which is next to the village green, residences, town dock and largest lake in the Adirondack Park.

This facility requires an industrial location in order to run safely and effectively. An energy plant does not belong at the breathtaking, pristine headwaters of the St. Lawrence Seaway; on a lake surrounded by 99 miles of mostly state owned shoreline wilderness where moose have recently returned and loons migrate home to mate, nest and fish year after year.

On May 23rd, more than 200 local and seasonal residents packed the Raquette Lake school gymnasium to express concerns about the residential, forested site and risks to their mulit-generation homes, lake and surrounding area’s wild preserve. National Grid and Rev Renewables presented detailed plans to build and operate a 20 MW and 40 MWh lithium battery storage and backup power facility. The facility's site map indicates 12 shipping container size batteries will be placed in the village of Raquette Lake on over two acres of forest above the hamlet, wetlands, and lake with room to build-out on an adjacent site. 

Rev Renewables and National Grid have been working on the project in secret for more than 3 years. The project will clear and level 2.5 rocky, elevated acres of mature forest classified by the DEC as Rare Plants and Animals above wetlands and village. Day-to-day the facility will be used primarily to buy and sell power on wholesale energy markets for profit not provide battery back up for their Raquette Lake customers located in Zone 3 - one of the coldest regions of country.

According to National Grid's September 2019 'Request for Proposal', "the energy storage system must be located near the end of National Grid’s radial 46kV Sub-Transmission line to maximize the potential reliability improvements. The ideal location for the storage system is near substation along the 46kV line (which runs along State Route NY-28)." A lithium storage battery in Raquette Lake fulfills two criteria for National Grid: 1). "Mitigate reliability concerns" and 2). Stores electrical energy for "NYISO wholesale market participation" in Zone F at "similar or higher wholesale energy and ancillary service market prices...within National Grid’s service territory". 

https://www.nationalgridus.com/media/pdfs/bulk-energy-storage-request-for-proposals/appendix-e-locations-usecases.pdf

However, the location Rev Renewables selected is not near the substation which is located a mile away on Route 28 outside of the hamlet. Nor does National Grid's 'Request for Proposal' take into consideration Raquette Lake's never logged, delicate ecosystem and wildlife, which would be damaged for decades, if not forever, in the event of a forest fire.

This kind of facility has experienced large, dangerous fires and taken big city fire departments days to extinguish.

“Rev Renewables told our fire department we should standby and monitor a fire until help arrives. Where is help coming from? How long will it take? We do not have the emergency response resources for FD or EMS within 40 miles to handle an incident like this.” - Aris Bird, Raquette Lake Resident and EMT

Rev Renewables owns four other lithium battery storage facilities which are in California. They are in light industrial areas on flat land without forest, lakes, or hamlets. We are not against renewable energy and technology, especially ones that provide true green power. However, we do question the logic of placing a lithium battery storage facility in the middle of the hamlet of Raquette Lake in the middle of the Adirondack Park. Key concerns include:

1. Lack of on-site or area employees, relying on remote monitoring from Maryland, which may be unreliable due to internet and cell service disruptions.
2. Potential for spontaneous ignition and toxic gas release if batteries are not properly climate-controlled, including risks from forest fire, mechanical failures, human error, and transit damage.
3. Raquette Lake Fire Chief instructed to "stand by and watch it burn" in the event of a fire, with uncertain response time and resources.
4. Inadequate resources and capabilities of the Raquette Lake Volunteer Fire Department to handle lithium battery fires, with extremely limited aging personnel and distant supporting fire departments.
5. Evacuation challenges of up to 1000 people and young campers due to limited road access, especially during winter and mud-season when roads are closed.
6. Absence of protocols, such as fire, evacuation, and decommissioning protocols from Rev Renewables.
7. Lack of local hospitals, with lengthy travel times of one and a half hours to the closest medical facilities.
8. Increased risk of forest fires due low snow and rain precipitation levels in the area.
9. High initial capital cost and costly electricity requirements, which will be passed on to all of National Grid's customers.
10. Disruption of sole town road from burying cable and overhead power line installation, affecting the community's infrastructure.
11. Noise and light pollution emanating from dozens of security flood lights, air conditioners and heating systems 24/7 365. Raquette Lake has one of the darkest night skies in the Adirondacks not to mention the Northeast. The Milky Way is spectacular here. Quiet and dark skies are key to successful migration of 80% of our birds who fly at night to avoid predators. Ambient light throws them off and they die.
12. Backup power no longer needed. For years RL residents pleaded National Grid for a community wide back up generator like the neighboring towns have.  During the last couple of years, the majority gave up and purchased their own generators.

“Rev Renewables and National Grid are trying to sell this as backup power for
local residents. I already have a generator. This system will have to be shut down on the coldest winter days. I’d hope we could get more than 2 hours of convenience power for $60 million.” Liz Forsell, Raquette Lake Resident

"It is simply not worth it here. This ill-conceived project should not have gotten this far without proper outreach to residents. Represented as backup power, this is actually a profit maker with 100% of the cost borne by ratepayers. It should not be forced on a community that does not want it.” Anonymous, Raquette Lake Resident

If you care about the safety of Raquette Lake and its people, the Adirondack wilderness, clean water and air, and wildlife, we ask you to please sign this petition and share it with everyone possible.  Any questions or inquiries regarding this petition, please email theraquettelakers@gmail.com.

We also please ask for your help funding an independent environmental study and environmental legal counsel by visiting www.protectraquette.org

You are our voice of change that will help open National Grid's heart and mind and move their utility-scale energy storage facility to an industrial site in a town that wants it.

You are incredible and we are grateful for each and everyone of you!!! Thank you!