The Islip Town Board is considering extending its current moratorium on battery energy storage systems for another year.

The move would further delay a controversial proposed lithium battery project at an industrial park in Hauppauge that has residents and first responders concerned.

In December 2024, the Long Island Power Authority approved two lithium battery facilities in Suffolk County. That included a 79-megawatt project at 220 Rabro Drive in Hauppauge and a 50-megawatt project on a two-acre section of the long-shuttered Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant site in Shoreham.

At that time, the utility board said the projects were necessary to meet Long Island's power demand and New York State's clean energy goals.

On March 19, 2024, nine months before LIPA approved the two Suffolk County projects, the town of Islip adopted a moratorium, effectively blocking these facilities from moving forward. That order has since been extended and was scheduled to expire on Sept. 30.

The potential ban extension comes after residents and first responders who live and work near the proposed site have raised concerns about fire safety and the project's proximity to homes and businesses.

In August, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator and former Long Island Congressman Lee Zeldin visited the community, where he outlined new federal guidelines for these projects, which encouraged local control.

In July, the New York State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council adopted updated codes for battery energy storage system safety. The new safety provisions include an independent engineering peer review, continuous 24/7 monitoring for early fault detection and emergency response planning in coordination with local fire departments. These changes are slated to go into effect on Dec. 31.

"The proposed extension is both reasonable and necessary to allow the town to await the formal adoption of the updated code, thoroughly review [it] and draft an amendment to the current Battery Energy Storage Systems code that is consistent with the new standards, thereby supporting the safe construction and operation of Battery Energy Storage System units while protecting the residents of the town of Islip, the surrounding community, public infrastructure and the safety of first responders," part of the resolution reads.

News 12 reached out early this morning to the town, the developer Key Capture Energy, the Long Island Power Authority, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Hauppauge Fire District for comment, but has not yet heard back.