School board adopts resolution opposing proposed 79‑MW battery storage site near Bretton Woods Elementary
August 20, 2025 | HAUPPAUGE UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, School Districts, New York
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The Hovach School District Board of Education on Aug. 19 adopted a resolution opposing Key Capture Energy’s proposed 79‑megawatt battery energy storage system (BESS) at 220 Rabro Drive, a location the board said is near Bretton Woods Elementary School.
The resolution, read aloud during the meeting by board member Mister Michaels, said the district has “an essential responsibility to protect the health, safety, and welfare of students and staff” and listed risks "including, but not limited to, fire hazards and other emergency conditions that could endanger the lives and properties of those in surrounding neighborhoods." The board voted 5‑0 to adopt the resolution.
Why it matters: The board said the proposed siting raises concerns about the district’s ability to ensure safe evacuation and emergency response for students and staff at Bretton Woods Elementary School. The resolution directs the district clerk to transmit copies to the town board and the town planning board and instructs the district’s attorneys to attend applicable town meetings and hearings to represent the board.
Details: The resolution identifies the project as a 79‑megawatt BESS proposed by Key Capture Energy (KCE) at 220 Rabro Drive and states the proposed location is within the town of Hopog and the Hopog Union Free School District. The resolution’s text, as read by Mister Michaels, explicitly links large‑scale BESS facilities to safety risks and concludes the board “expresses its opposition to the siting of the KCE BESS facility at its proposed location near the Bretton Woods Elementary School.”
Discussion vs. decision: Board members characterized the item as an emergency addition to the agenda after an earlier executive session; the action taken was a formal, recorded resolution adopted by vote. The transcript does not record additional debate beyond the reading and the motion to adopt.
Next steps: The clerk will transmit the resolution to the town bodies named in the motion, and district attorneys were directed to attend applicable public hearings. The resolution does not itself prevent the town or applicant from proceeding; it expresses the board’s opposition and authorizes district representation at local hearings.
Sources: The resolution as read during the Aug. 19 business meeting; board vote recorded as 5‑0.
The resolution, read aloud during the meeting by board member Mister Michaels, said the district has “an essential responsibility to protect the health, safety, and welfare of students and staff” and listed risks "including, but not limited to, fire hazards and other emergency conditions that could endanger the lives and properties of those in surrounding neighborhoods." The board voted 5‑0 to adopt the resolution.
Why it matters: The board said the proposed siting raises concerns about the district’s ability to ensure safe evacuation and emergency response for students and staff at Bretton Woods Elementary School. The resolution directs the district clerk to transmit copies to the town board and the town planning board and instructs the district’s attorneys to attend applicable town meetings and hearings to represent the board.
Details: The resolution identifies the project as a 79‑megawatt BESS proposed by Key Capture Energy (KCE) at 220 Rabro Drive and states the proposed location is within the town of Hopog and the Hopog Union Free School District. The resolution’s text, as read by Mister Michaels, explicitly links large‑scale BESS facilities to safety risks and concludes the board “expresses its opposition to the siting of the KCE BESS facility at its proposed location near the Bretton Woods Elementary School.”
Discussion vs. decision: Board members characterized the item as an emergency addition to the agenda after an earlier executive session; the action taken was a formal, recorded resolution adopted by vote. The transcript does not record additional debate beyond the reading and the motion to adopt.
Next steps: The clerk will transmit the resolution to the town bodies named in the motion, and district attorneys were directed to attend applicable public hearings. The resolution does not itself prevent the town or applicant from proceeding; it expresses the board’s opposition and authorizes district representation at local hearings.
Sources: The resolution as read during the Aug. 19 business meeting; board vote recorded as 5‑0.
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