VERNON-PowerTransitions officials who held another community meeting on Sept. 23 faced community members who filled the Governor Hunt House’s meeting room, expressing skepticism and concern that Vernon could become home to an expensive, potentially hazardous energy installation.
Employees at the Texas-based company, which recently signed an option lease agreement with NorthStar to install an energy project on the 140-acre site of the former Vermont Yankee Nuclear plant, arrived at the Governor Hunt House prepared to take feedback on a potential battery storage project.
PowerTransitions is considering using the VY property for a 110-to-440-MW battery energy storage system (BESS).
The company would negotiate an annual payment to the town, in addition to local and state taxes.
It operates multiple projects, including natural gas, and has redeveloped former energy facilities, such as the Quindaro Power Station in Kansas City.
NorthStar is decommissioning the Vermont Yankee Nuclear plant and preparing the property for redevelopment. Fifty-eight canisters of nuclear waste will remain on site.
“You have a very unique site here,” said Head of External Affairs Carrie Hitt. “It is electrically very interesting to people.”
“It housed one of the only large nuclear facilities in New England until very not too long ago, right?” She continued. “It’s very complicated. It’s very complex. It’s very interesting. I’m just going to say it’s very challenging.”
At times, the audience and PowerTransitions staff seemed as disconnected as the computer presentation that refused to open.
Several attendees expected to learn details about a specific project, but Hitt explained that, with the company still exploring options for the VY site, nothing has been finalized.
Hitt said the company wants community support for any energy project it pursues before beginning the state permitting process that requires energy projects to earn a Certificate of Public Good from the Vermont Public Utility Commission under Section 248 of the state’s statutes.
“We do want to work closely with the town and community before filing anything official,” she said.
“We view community engagement as essential and want to be fully engaged with the town long before we file for 248 —- because we’re not going to file for 248, which is the statewide regulations for siting, if the town’s not in agreement with what we’re doing,” Hitt added.
Audience members raised concerns about the project’s potential use of river water for cooling, the risk of airborne toxins during a fire, and possible costs to the town if increased staffing, such as for the fire department, would become necessary.
Engineer and consultant Derek Porter explained that the BESS cooling uses a closed-loop system and therefore would not require water from the nearby Connecticut River.
Fire and battery safety expert Rocky Edwards told the audience that battery storage and fire-suppression technology have improved and that they have more safety features than current facilities do.
Recent fires at battery storage installations include two facilities in California: Moss Landing in 2025, a three-day blaze that caused $400 million of damages, and this year in La Verne, where a lithium-ion battery fire caused more than 500 residents to evacuate their homes, schools, and businesses for days.
Community gives more feedback
Hitt said PowerTransitions decided not to pursue solar or data center projects after evaluating feedback from town officials and from those who attended an August community meeting.
Several audience members said they would prefer solar over a battery installation.
Hitt explained that the company is still investigating and will continue to seek community input before deciding the nature of the project and finalizing a design.
If a project moves forward, construction would begin in three to five years, she said.
The BESS project would likely serve as an initial phase while the company develops a larger energy generation project for the site, Hitt said.
Hitt told the audience that PowerTransitions plans to hold additional community meetings. She emphasized that Vernon residents know the area best and understand what they want to protect — such as the Connecticut River.
“We’re just here sharing information because we’re trying to move through the process and see what the questions are, where the concerns are,” she said. “We’re trying to get that feedback from all of you so that we can put a plan together.”
This News item by Olga Peters was written for The Commons.