To the Editor:

I want to congratulate Adam Greenberg and the rest of the New Scotland Town Board for embracing a cleaner and greener future by moving forward with leadership in the planning for, and adoption of, green-energy technologies that will lower energy costs for all residents of New Scotland.

First, they adopted guidelines to manage the growth of solar energy in New Scotland, and now they’ve passed a law regulating the deployment of small utility scale batteries (battery energy storage systems, or BESS). These batteries store power during times of low-demand and distribute it during times of high demand.

Both of these new energy technologies lower electricity bills for all consumers and contribute to cleaner air, as the combination of solar energy and battery storage reduces the need for fossil fuel plants, especially the very polluting “Peaker” generators that are replaced by the battery power when power demands are high.

Utility studies show two additional cost savings for utility customers can result  from the deployment of these small utility batteries (the size of a tractor trailer)  and other decentralized green generation sources like rooftop solar:

— 1. Both minimize the need to build new transmission lines to bring in power  from distant (and much larger) generating plants, and

— 2. Both also reduce the chances of power outages by improving utility grid  reliability.

Locating BESS units next to existing power lines in New Scotland will improve  the performance of the utility grid within New Scotland while generating tax  revenue for the town.

Yes, there are risks, but the board has been scrupulous in  minimizing them through thoughtful regulation.

And consider this useful data point provided by The Altamont Enterprise in an editorial in its Oct. 2, 2025  issue: “the number of BESS in the United States has increased exponentially — from 50 in 2015 to 820 now, yet the number of failures has not increased; in fact, it decreased to just five worldwide last year.”

In fact, Adam Greenberg has further demonstrated his belief in the safety of  these small BESS units by proposing to locate two on his own property. While  the operation of these units will benefit all utility customers in New Scotland, any  risk (however small) will be his.

I would call that,“walking the walk.”

William Reinhardt

Slingerlands

Editor’s note: William Reinhardt represents District 33 in the Albany County Legislature.