HADLEY — Hadley planners are close to giving approval to a stand-alone battery energy storage system on Breckenridge Road following a consultant’s assurances that noise from the project will be in compliance with state law.
At the Sept. 15 continuation of a hearing for ZP Battery Devco’s plans for the 5-megawatt system, to be located on a nearly 5-acre gravel pit site at 0 Breckenridge Road, above the Zatyrka Park playground, the Planning Board was informed the noise generated by the project will be at or below the noise policy set by the Department of Environmental Protection. That limits the amount of noise that can be produced by such a development.
Marc C. Wallace, vice president of Tech Environmental Inc. in Chelmsford, said the sound study shows that, using a noise reduction level kit, the noise at the edge of the property will be under 34 decibels, or below 34 dBA, known as the A-weighted decibel.
The use of the noise reduction level kit, Wallace said, will reduce sound by 20 decibels and mean the 34 decibels don’t extend beyond the lot lines, under the worst-case conditions during the quietest overnight hours. The study was done during the late summer when there is significant background noise made by insects.
Peter Forte, vice president of the Worcester-based developer, said the project will also include five energy storage containers with auxiliary equipment, including inverters and converters, and a gravel access road. The system will be connected to three-phase power lines on Breckenridge Road.
The project was originally halted when the Planning Board rejected plans in 2024. The developers then filed a lawsuit in Hampshire Superior Court, and the board began a new hearing this summer on a nearly identical proposal. The board had raised concerns over whether the state would allow the rejection under the Dover Amendment, which exempts certain land uses from local zoning based on their impact on public health, safety and the environment.
Forte said an emergency response plan has been issued to the Fire Department and is being reviewed by Interim Fire Chief Robert Flaherty, and comments have also been received from Department of Public Works Director Scott McCarthy.
Planning Board member Mark Dunn asked if the system to limit noise would affect the ventilation system to keep the batteries from overheating.
Forte said the noise reduction level kit is a 3-foot box that will not hinder the cooling system. It will also not affect the substation, where there are quieter humming sounds.
While neighbors have had concerns with the proposal, including potential contamination of land and impacts on the playground and wildlife, the only comment at the meeting came from Greg Owen, who wondered whether the noise kit would degrade over time and cause the battery energy storage system to fall out of compliance.
Forte said the life expectancy is 40 years, or longer than the 25 years the system would be running. Forte said the project has to comply with the noise policy of the state at all times and that residents would be able to bring complaints to the building commissioner.
The system will be monitored remotely around the clock.
Board members closed the public hearing, meaning no further comment is being accepted, and indicated a review by town attorney and a vote on conditions would take place Oct. 6 or Oct. 20.
