SAVE SDG:
Stop the North Glengarry BESS Facility
Press Release | March 10, 2025
STOP BESS IN NORTH GLENGARRY ONTARIO. SIGN THE PETITION AT CHANGE.ORG, THANK YOU!
CONCERNED RESIDENTS ASK HOW THEY WILL EVACUATE THEIR LIVESTOCK IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE? "We have received this notice about the BESS. It’s very concerning from both how the approval happened and the how technology itself works. There is no way our first responders could deal with this, or even neighbouring municipalities. I think the major focus on opposition should be directed at this. Do we have the equipment, do we have the training, how do we contain and protect groundwater? Evacuation plans? Not only for people but animals. There are large farms in that area, where would their animals go? I’d be surprised if they could answer on that."
We are concerned citizens of North Glengarry and surrounding communities, working together to overturn By-Law Z-01-2025, which was passed without sufficient public consultation and allows for the construction of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facility in our township.
The Township of North Glengarry has approved By-Law Z-01-2025, rezoning agricultural land for an industrial BESS installation. This week, we are preparing appeals to overturn this bylaw.
🔴 Fire & Explosion Risks – Lithium-ion battery fires are highly toxic and nearly impossible to extinguish.
🔴 Environmental Concerns – Potential contamination of groundwater and destruction of farmland.
🔴 Health Risks – Exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) and chemical leaks could impact human and livestock health.
🔴 National Security Risk – BESS facilities are connected to the power grid and could be vulnerable to cyberattacks.
🔴 Lack of Transparency – Many residents were not informed before this decision was made.
✔ Sign the Petition – Support our effort to overturn By-Law Z-01-2025.
✔ SIGN THE DIGITAL PETITION AT CHANGE.ORG
✔ Spread the Word – Share this with your neighbors and on social media.
✔ Attend the Public Meeting on March 10, 2025 at Township Office, 3720 County Road 34, Alexandria to make your voice heard.
🔗 The official website of the project developer is: northglengarryenergystorage.com (for reference only—this is NOT our site).
BESS stands for Battery Energy Storage System. Up until recently BESS facilities were only intended for use with solar and wind farms. This was a way to store the energy they created so that it could be used to store the electricity generated and send it out during times when the wind turbines do not run or it is dark outside. This all changed with the Inflation Reduction Act which now allowed stand alone BESS facilities to be constructed. These stand alone systems are being connected to the traditional power grid. A BESS facility consists of shipping containers that measure 12.9M (40 feet long), 2.4M (8 feet wide) and 2.4M (8 feet tall). Each container houses thousands of Lithium-ion Batteries.
Nearly all BESS facilities in North America have been built in the last 2-3 years or are currently under construction. Per a discussion with a leading expert around BESS safety that works with large power companies, there isn’t much data on failure rates because battery companies are reluctant to share that data as we are seeing brand new facilities exploding and catching fire in the news on a regular basis.
Given how new BESS installations are, there also isn’t information about the long-term failure rates, health impact, or environmental impact from these facilities.
Many of these facilities are NOT built by local power companies but rather by independent operators/investors who live in other locations. They make a profit by storing energy when demand is low (e.g. night) and selling it back when demand is high (e.g. day). Most of these facilities are located on private property and not on the utility company’s property. Third party contractors are hired to install and maintain the BESS. They rely on battery companies to provide information and train local first responders. And when something happens, they all point the finger at each other and leave the residents of the local community alone with no recourse other than expensive legal action.
BESS facilities should never be built in residential neighbourhoods, rural communities, near schools, churches, agricultural areas, and the like. The dangers of BESS facilities is a big problem that county leaders are completely ignoring when they vote to allow these facilities to be built in these areas. It is not a question of if, but a question of when a catastrophic failure of a BESS facility will happen.
Why risk the safety and well being of the residents in North Glengarry, Ontario, so that investors can profit at our expense?
Click here for a full list of the Safety Risks, Quality of Life Issues and the Reasons that BESS facilities offer no benefit to the community.
Quality of Life Issues with BESS Facilities
No Real Benefit to the Community
The BESS Failure Incident Database was initiated in 2021 as part of a wider suite of BESS safety research after the concentration of lithium ion BESS fires in South Korea and the Surprise, AZ, incident in the US. The database was created to inform energy storage industry stakeholders and the public on BESS failures.
Tracking information about systems that have experienced an incident, including age, manufacturer, chemistry, and application, could inform R&D actions taken by the industry to improve storage safety. The focus of the database is on incidents that had a wider public health and safety impact, rather than on operational failures.
A map of the BESS proposed location in North Glengarry.
Connect with our team at:
helpus@savesdg.com or contact our Press Officer.
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STOP BESS IN NORTH GLENGARRY ONTARIO. SIGN THE PETITION AT CHANGE.ORG, THANK YOU!