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Frequently asked questions about NineDot Energy

Last updated 5/4/25

Overview

1. Who is NineDot Energy?

NineDot is a Brooklyn-based developer of urban clean energy solutions, with a particular focus on battery storage in the NYC metro area. NineDot was founded and is based in Brooklyn, and the majority of our team of 70+ employees lives in or nearby New York City. We have the largest community energy storage pipeline in NYC, with more than 50 projects in some phase of development, construction or operation in The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Westchester. NineDot now has six commissioned battery storage projects across four locations in The Bronx and Staten Island, all ready to provide low-emissions power to the grid at times of peak demand. We also have several more projects that we expect to come online by the end of 2026. Our team previously built two fuel cell projects in Staten Island and The Bronx, successfully bringing cleaner energy to parts of the electric grid identified as high-need areas by Con Edison. We’re on target to have 400 megawatts of battery storage in development, construction or operation by the end of 2026—enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses for four hours on a hot summer day while cutting pollution and improving the grid’s resilience. We invest in local clean energy solutions to build a healthier and cleaner NYC for everyone.
2. What are battery energy storage systems (BESS)?

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are special batteries that connect to the utility’s electricity grid, making that grid cleaner, more reliable and less costly, while helping the community be safer, cleaner and healthier. The batteries charge up overnight when the grid has cleaner energy and excess capacity, and discharge that energy back to the grid when called upon by the utility. Batteries help reduce reliance on polluting fossil fuel power plants (especially the ones that only turn on when electricity demand is at its peak, known as “peaker plants,” typically the highest polluting power options in the grid), improving local air quality and health outcomes by keeping those peaker plants turned off more often. Batteries might be called upon more frequently over time as more intermittent renewables come online, like wind and solar.

The battery systems NineDot uses are based on lithium-ion chemistry, similar to batteries that are used in electric vehicles, laptops, phones and earbuds for decades. What’s different about energy storage batteries, though, are the stringent regulations they are subject to by the FDNY and DOB, among other local, state, national, and international oversight agencies, and how they are used.
3. What’s the history of battery storage development in New York City?

New York has been steadily working on the regulations and safety of distributed, community battery energy storage for over a decade (“distributed” meaning spaced throughout a network, closer to the places where energy is used than traditional power plants). The need for this kind of BESS was one of the main lessons learned after infrastructure failures during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. NYC and the FDNY have also been working on local zoning and safety regulations for BESS over this timeframe. Today, there are operational BESS in every borough of New York City and over 6,000 installations across the state.
4. What are other benefits of community-scale battery storage systems?

In addition to making the community cleaner, safer and healthier, BESS are faster and easier to build than larger power plants, as they can be modularly designed exactly to fit the local needs. They can also be placed closer to where power is needed without overwhelming the grid.

These systems reduce strain on the electric power grid from peak demand: by having more capacity instantly available from grid-connected, local batteries, NineDot’s projects help make the grid more stable and reliable.

Battery storage also increases use of low-emissions energy: according to the Peak Coalition, “About 750,000 people in New York City live within one mile of a peaker plant…78 percent of these people are either low-income or people of color; many are both.”(Source: Accelerate Now! The Fossil Fuel End Game 2.0) By replacing peaker plants in these communities, BESS brings lower-emissions energy to the area, vs. dirty air from burning fossil fuels nearby.

Energy storage supports new jobs for New York: the New York City Economic Development Corporation estimates that by 2030 there will be nearly 1,000 permanent jobs within the local energy storage industry. And each of our sites creates up to 30 construction jobs, many of which are subject to prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements.
5. Do battery storage systems charge up with renewable energy?

BESS currently charges from the grid at night, when there’s excess energy available, and that energy is cleaner than during the daytime.  So even without directly charging from renewable energy sources, batteries still lead to a net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. BESS also facilitates the adoption of more renewable energy like wind and solar by providing a storage mechanism for clean energy production spikes, and the energy discharged from BESS when called upon stays in the community.
6. How else does NineDot support the community?

As a New York-based small business, we are committed to partnering with local organizations to support their needs. At our first battery site in the Bronx, we have supported and regularly help teach an after-school STEM education program with the Bronx Charter School for Better Learning across the street from us. The students in that school created a mural that tells their clean-energy story to decorate our site, in partnership with a local artist. At other sites and neighborhoods, we have partnered with community gardens to provide financial support; coordinate closely with local elected officials; and sponsor local non-profits and philanthropic organizations such as The HOPE Program, the Bronx River Alliance, and the New York Restoration Project. Finally, we look forward to working with local labor and workforce organizations to maximize our community and MWBE hiring practices.

Safety

7. Are lithium-ion batteries for storage systems like yours safe?

Yes, the battery storage systems we build are safe. We wouldn’t build them otherwise. The technology we use, the designs we create, the construction approach we follow and the permission to operate the systems – these all follow the most stringent rules set by the FDNY, and the FDNY needs to approve our projects from start to finish, before they are allowed to charge up and then discharge energy to the grid.
8. What about environmental safety?

Environmental safety is the reason our company exists in the first place – that is, the purpose of BESS is to create a healthier and more sustainable environment where we live and work. BESS has low emissions and creates no air pollution – there’s no fuel burning, no pollutants, and no air permits required. Battery storage has minimal noise impact, and all our projects are designed to fully comply with the NYC Noise Code. Regarding hazardous waste, batteries are managed under RCNY 608 decommissioning plans and follow City and State recycling protocols. In addition, BESS has minimal shadow impact, as no structure is higher than 23 feet from the ground.
9. What certifications and testing does your technology have?

Stationary battery energy storage systems are rigorously tested, vetted, certified, and built to comply with extensive national and international safety standards. The risks posed by batteries, like all electrical infrastructure, can be mitigated or eliminated with rigorous testing and safety standards. That’s why product certifications are so important. The most widely recognized battery energy storage safety standards include Underwriter Laboratories (UL) certification and compliance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards.

Underwriter Laboratories (UL) Certification or equivalent. UL is a third-party certification company founded in 1894 that develops industry-wide safety standards for a wide range of electrical products and lays out stringent testing protocols to demonstrate product safety. While other third-party companies also provide similar standards and certification services, UL is the “gold standard” and the most common in the U.S. You may have noticed a UL sticker on your toaster, refrigerator or extension cord. Most consumer electrical products sold in the U.S. are required by law to be tested, listed and labeled by a third-party certified laboratory such as UL to protect consumers from unsafe products.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requirements. NFPA is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that develops and publishes standards relating to fire and building safety that are recognized and respected around the world. The national standard for battery energy storage safety, NFPA 855, provides requirements for the design, installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of battery energy storage facilities. It also outlines the necessary collaboration between the battery energy storage industry and local first responders to maximize the safe and reliable performance of battery energy storage as critical grid infrastructure. Adopting and enforcing the latest edition of NFPA 855 is the best approach to ensure safety at all future battery energy storage facilities. New York State has been a national leader in contributing to the development and early adoption of NFPA 855. NFPA 855 includes provisions that comprehensively address fire risks, including venting (NFPA 68), explosion prevention (NFPA 69), electric code (NFPA 70), and fire alarms and signalling (NFPA 72). (Source: NY-BEST)
10. Beyond battery safety features, what fire prevention or mitigation methods are typically in place?

In addition to the safety systems built into the batteries themselves, NineDot battery storage sites have many layers of fire safety features. These include: an overhead deluge/sprinkler system; closed circuit cameras with 24×7 remote monitoring; UV/IR cameras for flame or heat detection and automated gas detection and pressure vents; a “pull station” for manual fire alarm activation; and backup power for monitoring and control systems for use in a grid power outage. Furthermore, there are automatic and remote electricity cutoffs for the system in the event of a safety concern. Finally, our sites provide for FDNY emergency alerts and direct coordination. Every site also requires a Certificate of Fitness (COF) holder supervision, ensuring an expert is available within 15 minutes in case of emergency (Certificate of Fitness [COF] for fire is a certification issued by the FDNY that verifies an individual has the necessary knowledge and skills to safely perform specific fire-related duties or manage certain equipment or materials. These certificates are required for various occupations and operations, ensuring compliance with the New York City Fire Code and promoting safety). We do not plan on having personnel onsite daily as the sites are monitored 24×7 by professionals remotely. Overall, our battery sites and the technology we use are more tested, certified, and monitored than most of the built environment around us.

11. If battery systems are so safe, why have I been reading news about battery fires?

Batteries are present in just about every part of our lives, but we know there have been two types of recent battery fires that have caused concerns: fires involving e-mobility devices (such as e-scooters and e-bikes), and larger battery storage systems outside of New York City.

E-mobility devices are very different from stationary storage: Until recently, many of these battery products were not tested or regulated according to normal consumer standards (such as UL certification). Furthermore, many owners of these devices don’t have the knowledge, training or physical space to charge or store their devices safely. E-mobility batteries are also subject to physical and weather stresses while being moved around the city, unlike our stationary battery systems. We applaud the FDNY for stepping in to make e-mobility battery use safe (NYC DOT even has a trade-in program to replace uncertified e-bikes with approved UL-certified bikes and batteries!). However, the battery storage products NineDot uses in our projects, and the way our technology is deployed, monitored and managed, far exceed safety regulations even now in place with e-mobility batteries.

Regarding the batteries we use for our systems, the FDNY and DOB have some of the strictest (if not THE strictest) safety requirements in the country for installing energy storage. They require all systems to go through multiple levels of testing and certification at Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories like UL (the company that likely certified your toaster or refrigerator for safety). If the product isn’t safe, it isn’t allowed in NYC.

Not only does NineDot work with manufacturers and NYC safety agencies to design the battery sites themselves to be as safe as possible, but also we layer in multiple levels of emergency planning and response; in the very unlikely event that something does go wrong, sprinkler systems and extensive first responder planning would ensure that the situation was contained in short order. While there’s an extremely rare chance of a thermal event at our sites, we’ve taken extra precautions such as putting redundant systems in place to contain and extinguish any fires.

Notably the Warwick, NY, and Moss Landing, CA, fires – two of the most recent widely-discussed BESS fires – use technology and designs that simply would not be allowed in New York City. In fact, there have been no battery storage fires in NYC to date. We don’t think that’s a coincidence. The City’s public safety officials have put the right resources in place to service the people of New York.

Projects and Construction

12. Why are you building batteries near where people live, instead of in less-dense areas outside of NYC?

Because that’s where the need is. A key obstacle we face in the clean energy transition is known as “transmission congestion”: that is, a limitation in how much electricity we can transport from one area to another with our existing wires. Think of it like an electricity traffic jam. Part of the reason NYC is still so reliant on in-city fossil fuel plants is because transmission congestion limits how much electricity we can import from outside, like clean solar, hydro and wind power from upstate NY, as well as the ability to shift power from one part of the city to another to meet demand. Battery projects built locally, near where electricity is consumed, can help alleviate that congestion and make sure people have access to cleaner electricity when they need it, at a lower cost than upgrading the transmission grid. As a result, Con Edison sometimes directs developers to build in specified neighborhoods, such as with their Brooklyn Queens Demand Management (BQDM) program and other “non-wires” programs that are designed to replace costly, time-consuming, and disruptive power grid upgrades with lower-cost, strategically-sited BESS installations.

13. How noisy are the batteries?

Our systems are designed to comply with the NYC Noise Code and are certified by a registered design professional. In many urban areas, there is significant ambient noise from traffic, HVAC systems, and other daily activities. As a result, the sound from our systems often blends into the background and at times is indistinguishable from the surrounding environment. If our systems emit noise that is above these levels as heard at a point of reception, we take additional mitigation steps, such as installing a sound wall.
14. Can you build your sites to be appealing in a neighborhood setting?

We aim to make our sites blend into their surroundings and look as appealing as possible. For example, our Bronx site’s main fence has a 135-ft wide mural on it, designed by students from the school across the street. Other sites in more mixed-use areas have fencing designed to match the built environment and context of the surrounding neighborhood. We hope to get input from and work with our neighbors and local community as we complete our sites for the parts where we have more design freedom such as the site perimeter and landscaping.
15. Do you need special permission and zoning to build these projects?

The NYC Zoning Resolution allows battery energy storage systems throughout the City on an “as-of-right” basis – that is without discretionary approvals from the Board of Standards and Appeals or the City Planning Commission and without the need for variance. At NineDot, we focus primarily on manufacturing and commercial zones where we believe our systems will not dramatically alter the existing built environment.

In NYC, where the need for BESS is significant, many types of buildings are located close together. That’s just a fact of life in the dense urban environment across the five boroughs, and the experts and regulators create safety rules that account for this density. We believe BESS will have significantly less of an impact upon the surrounding community than other uses which are allowed as-of-right in these locations, such as sewage pumping facilities, gas and electric substations, and police stations. Also, in many cases, we are building sites on vacant, underutilized, or untended sites that have been on the market for years or even decades.
16. Do you have all the permits required for your projects?

NineDot only develops in zoning districts where our energy storage projects are “as-of-right” (meaning no discretionary land use approvals are required), and we have the permits we need for any work we are doing on a particular project at that point in time.