VILLAGE OF WARWICK NY

On December 19, 2025, the Village of Warwick experienced an incident involving a Battery Energy Storage Site (BESS) located on 28 Church Street. This page is dedicated to providing the public with factual updates and information related to the incident, including a timeline of events and any findings as they become available. Any future updates will be posted here to ensure ongoing transparency.

February 2, 2026
Update Provided at the February 2nd Village Board Meeting

Battery Fire Monitoring Synopsis –

On January 28, 2026, the Village of Warwick received a Battery Fire Monitoring Synopsis Report from LaBella Associates, the Village of Warwick’s engineer consultant contracted to conduct an Environmental Investigation at the energy storage developer Convergent Energy & Power’s Battery Storage Facility at 28 Church Street. This report is included on tonight’s agenda under “Correspondence” and is also available HERE on the Village website.

Correspondence Received from Warwick Valley BBA, LLC –

The Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) involved in the recent fire at 28 Church Street is located on private property and is operated by Convergent Energy, which leases the site from Warwick Valley BBA, LLC.

The Village has recently received two letters from the property owner’s legal counsel. One letter, sent to the Village Building Inspector, states that the property owner is extremely concerned about the fire and has begun the process of terminating the lease, regaining possession of the property, and facilitating removal of the battery system, noting that this process may take time due to state landlord-tenant laws and the bankruptcy of the battery manufacturer.

A second letter, sent to Convergent Energy, outlines alleged lease defaults, including building code violations, permit issues, a mechanic’s lien on the property, and release of hazardous or regulated substances. The letter provides specific timeframes under the lease for Convergent Energy to cure the defaults.

Both letters can be viewed by clicking the links below –

• Letter from Warwick Valley BBA, LLC to the Village of Warwick Building Inspector
• Letter from Warwick Valley BBA, LLC to Convergent Energy

The Village continues to focus on public safety, code enforcement, and environmental protection, and will provide updates as more information becomes available.

January 28, 2026
Battery Fire Air Monitoring Synopsis dated January 28, 2026, from LaBella Associates, the Village of Warwick’s engineer consultant contracted to perform an Environmental Investigation at the energy storage developer Convergent Energy & Power’s Church Street Battery Storage Facility at 28 Church Street.

January 20, 2026
Update Provided at the January 20th Village Board Meeting

Update, Board Actions and Activities Following December 19, 2025
28 Church St. Battery Energy Storage Site Fire
Update Issued: January 20, 2026

• January 13, 2026, Village Board met in a special meeting and closed session to speak to legal counsel about the upcoming meeting with O&R.

• January 14, 2026, there was an internal meeting with representatives from O&R. Village representatives included legal counsel Ben Gailey and Isabelle Hayes, Code Enforcement Officer Boris Rudinski, Village Engineer Keith Woodruff, Village Trustee, Tom McKnight and myself. I will read a synopsis that Tom created:

• • While O&R emphasized adherence to standardized regulatory processes, the meeting revealed significant gaps in transparency, accountability, and municipal coordination. O&R declined to provide RFP submissions and their contract with Convergent, citing commercial sensitivity, and questioned the need for disclosure. They did not dispute our request for a complete operational timeline and indicated they would consider whether certain interconnection materials, including the PTO and portions of the SIR documentation, could be shared; however, their responses were non-committal, and we should not assume these materials will be provided without continued pressure.

• • More broadly, O&R made clear that it is not willing to change how it conducts interconnections or municipal coordination, including confirming that there is no formal process to notify municipalities when systems are energized and that they do not independently verify municipal Certificates of Compliance prior to issuing permission to operate. When pressed on safety, due diligence, and post-incident accountability, O&R consistently narrowed its role, asserting that many of the issues raised fall outside its formal scope, even while relying on conclusions about root cause and corrective actions that the Village has not been able to independently review. Given these limitations, we expect to continue pressing O&R directly while also pursuing outstanding records through the Department of Public Service and applicable FOIL processes. I wanted the Board to have the full factual record as we consider appropriate next steps.

• We’ve sought a consulting engineer, La Bella Engineering. La Bella has worked with communities on BESS related issues for technical oversite and independent evaluation. They have a separate environmental team who will be testing water, soil and hard surfaces. Convergent has said that it will pay for the cost of the consultant.

• We’ve received a preliminary overview of Air Quality test results from OC Hazmat. This has been sent to our consulting Engineer for clarification and analysis. We will make that information available once it is received.

• We’ve received a letter from Convergent acknowledging the previous letter sent by the Village’s legal counsel; it also diminishes the need for a Certificate of Compliance. This is under correspondence on tonight’s agenda.

• We will be setting up a web page as a resource for the public and our promise for transparency.

• January 20, 2026, there was a site visit to 28 Church St. that included representatives from Convergent including an Electrical Technician, the Village’s consulting Engineer La Bella, property landlord, Bob Schluter, Building Inspector, Boris Rudinski, Village of Warwick Trustees Barry Cheney and Mary Collura and myself. Convergent showed that the system was no longer connected to the grid, the internal connections between batteries have been removed and the entire system has been drawn down from 1500 volts per battery to 37 volts.

• Battery removal will begin this Thursday by the firm that Convergent hired to do the Root Cause Analysis. The Village’s consultant will be on site.

• I’ve reached out to Senator Skoufis, and he was aware of the fire and offered help. In the most recent issue of the Warwick Valley Advertiser in Letters to the Editor, Megan Cooke wrote about current proposed legislation, NY Senate Bill S5506, that would take away the Home Rule of NY State communities for the siting of BESS facilities. Megan asked residents to call Mr. Skoufis’ Office to vote ‘No’ on this Bill. Her letter included 3 talking points: (1) NY is a home rule State, land use decisions belong to Villages, Towns and Cities not Albany (2) Local Governments know their communities best (3) O&R should not be able to approve projects when communities say no. This fast-tracking benefits developers. Thank you, Megan, for this valuable information. We will share this on social media as well.

January 13, 2026
Update from Convergent to the Village of Warwick

January 5, 2026
Mayor Michael Newhard’s Statement From the January 5, 2026, Village Board Meeting Minutes

Mayor Newhard opened the meeting and welcomed those in attendance. He stated that it had been an intense week for the Village following the Battery Energy Storage System fire that occurred on December 19, 2025, noting that information related to the incident had been widely reported and remained available on the Village website, social media, and through local news outlets.

Mayor Newhard outlined actions taken by the Village since the incident, including requiring Convergent Energy to bear all costs associated with cleanup, testing, engineering, and police services; enforcing a Notice of Violation and condemnation order issued by the Building Department; pursuing additional environmental testing to ensure public safety; retaining an independent consulting engineer for third-party review; and continuing to seek accountability regarding the unauthorized operation of the facility.

Mayor Newhard stated that legal counsel had been invited to attend the meeting for the purpose of entering into executive session. He apologized to those in attendance for the interruption and explained that it was necessary for the Board to consult with counsel before taking further action on the matter.

December 31, 2025
Mayor Michael Newhard Issued a Mayor’s Column Addressing the Incident

From the Mayor’s Office
December 31, 2025 – Village of Warwick Statement on Battery Storage Facility Incident

On Friday, December 19, at approximately 10:30 p.m., I received a call from Warwick Police Chief John Rader notifying me of a battery storage fire at 28 Church Street Extension. I immediately responded to the site.

Upon arrival, the Warwick Fire Department had secured the area, posted personnel at the entrance drive, and established a command post at Firehouse Station One on Church Street. I met with Fire Chief Lemin, who advised that the fire was visible at one corner of the battery storage structure. Orange County HazMat Response Team was already on scene and had deployed air-monitoring equipment at the site. At the Village’s request, additional monitoring equipment was placed in Memorial Park, which was downwind at the time. Cold temperatures and limited wind helped keep the fire and smoke contained.

Lithium-ion battery fires cannot be extinguished with water and are typically allowed to burn out. As a result, continuous air-quality monitoring was critical throughout the incident. We were recently made aware that air monitoring conducted by Orange County Emergency Management detected hydrogen cyanide at a level of 0.5 parts per million at a meter placed adjacent to the facility while the fire was actively burning, which is approximately half of the maximum allowable level under federal guidelines. Downwind monitoring locations recorded zero readings. Monitoring continued through December 22 as battery temperatures declined and cleanup and investigation efforts began. We have requested a formal report of this testing, which will be shared when received.

A representative from Convergent arrived shortly before midnight. The site remained fully secured with 24-hour fire surveillance and police presence. We remained at the command center until approximately 3:00 a.m., and Chief Rader issued an initial press release to inform the public.

As background, the facility is located on private property within a Light Industrial District and received land use approval in 2021. Two similar battery storage units are located at the Warwick School Bus Garage on County Route One. In 2023, one of those units experienced a fire, and the Church Street unit experienced an overheating event, with both incidents attributed to moisture infiltration.

The Village has no rental agreement, financial interest, or business relationship with Convergent Energy. These units are designed to provide electrical backup to the grid during peak or emergency energy demand. At the time of the fire, the batteries were fully charged and were subsequently reduced to 50% capacity for safety.

A public briefing was held on the morning of Saturday, December 20 at 9:00 a.m. News outlets were notified, and the Village produced a short public safety video to keep residents informed. Participants included Fire Chief Lemin, Police Chief Rader, representatives from Convergent Energy, Town Supervisor Jesse Dwyer, members of the Village Board, and myself. As information was still developing, the intent was to provide transparency and public awareness. Convergent was asked to give written information on an ongoing basis to keep the public informed. These short releases were sent to the Town and WPD and posted on the Village’s website and Facebook. Our continual conversations with Convergent were about ownership of the incident and public transparency. Briefings were set up on an ongoing basis at 9:30 a.m. as well as 8:00 p.m.

Throughout the incident, air quality, fire temperatures, and the potential for fire spread were the primary concerns. Drone surveillance with infrared technology confirmed that while exterior paint on adjacent battery cells ignited, the fire itself remained contained to a single cell.

By the afternoon of Sunday, December 21, smoke had largely subsided and temperatures were decreasing. By Monday, December 22 at noon, conditions allowed Convergent technicians to enter the site for evaluation. The severe rain and wind prior to the fire may have contributed to water infiltration. The system has been disconnected from the power grid, internally disengaged, and tarped. Damaged batteries are expected to be removed, and a full investigative report will follow. The Village has requested additional surface, soil, and water testing and is in the process of retaining an independent consulting engineer.

Village legal counsel has issued formal correspondence to Convergent requiring that all costs associated with cleanup, testing, engineering, and police services be borne by the company. The letter also addresses the unauthorized activation of the system. Additionally, the Building Department has issued a Notice of Violation and Condemnation Order. Convergent does not currently hold a Certificate of Compliance due to its failure to comply with enhanced safety monitoring requirements and should not have been operational.

Following the incidents in 2023, the Village Board and Village Engineer requested additional safety monitoring, which was dismissed by both the battery manufacturer and Convergent. These failures raise serious concerns about accountability and public safety.

The Village Board extends its sincere appreciation to the Warwick Fire Department, Warwick Police Department, New York State Police, and Orange County HazMat Response Team for their professionalism and dedication to protecting our community.

December 30, 2025
Letter from Convergent Acknowledging Rec. of Violations and Letter from Village Counsel

December 24, 2025
Violations Issued to the location of 28 Church Street, Battery Energy Storage System

• Notice of Condemnation to Warwick Valley BBA LLC by the Village of Warwick Code Enforcement Officer

• Notice of Condemnation to Convergent Energy and Power by the Village of Warwick Code Enforcement Officer

• Order issued by the Village of Warwick Code Enforcement Officer to immediately reduce the stored energy in the battery units to the maximum extent feasible, take all other technical measures to assure there is no re-ignition and disconnect the facility from eclectic grid and all other components

• Condemned sign posted at site by the Village of Warwick Building Department, K110.1 Authority to condemn electrical systems

December 23, 2025
Violations Issued to the location of 28 Church Street, Battery Energy Storage System

• Order of Remedy/Notice of Violations issued to Warwick Valley BBA LLC by the Village of Warwick Code Enforcement Officer – Operation of Battery Energy Storage System without Certificate of Compliance

• Order of Remedy/Notice of Violations issued to Convergent Energy and Power by the Village of Warwick Code Enforcement Officer – Operation of Battery Energy Storage System without Certificate of Compliance

• Order of Remedy/Notice of Violations issued to Warwick Valley BBA LLC by the Village of Warwick Code Enforcement Officer – Energy Storage System components caught fire indicating system failures

• Order of Remedy/Notice of Violations issued to Convergent Energy and Power by the Village of Warwick Code Enforcement Officer – Energy Storage System components caught fire indicating system failures

December 23, 2025
Letter from Village Attorney to Convergent

December 22, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Update from Convergent

On December 19, a fire alarm at our Church Street facility triggered the activation of the emergency response plan. Unfortunately, there was a fire localized in one of the units. The fire extinguished within 24 hours and resolved without any injuries. Hazmat measured air quality as safe throughout the weekend. A physical presence remains at the site as a precaution.

We proactively inspected the location at the Bus Garage and did not find any cause for concern. We are monitoring all locations as is standard operating procedure. We are also beginning the investigation into what happened.

While there may be similarities to 2023, it is too early to definitively determine the cause of this situation. That will happen through a root cause analysis (RCA), which will take time.

In response to the RCA from the 2023 incidents, the following measures were implemented:

• Each battery storage system in Warwick was replaced with new units that met the enhanced standards below.
  • Each unit was tested individually at the manufacturing facility.
  • There were multiple third-party reviews of the RCA, of the battery system changes, and of the testing protocols. Those third parties physically witnessed the new battery quality assurance tests.
• We updated emergency response plans and retrained the fire department.

As a reminder, the battery storage systems ensure reliability during the most in-demand times for electricity on Orange & Rockland Utility’s electric grid.

We want to thank the Warwick Fire Department, the Town of Warwick, the Village of Warwick, several divisions of Orange County Emergency Services including Hazmat, Local and State Police, the Sheriff’s Office, and Mayor Newhard for their diligence and tireless commitment to the community.

We apologize for the disruption and concern this has caused and plan to continue to update the community as we are able.

December 20, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Update from Convergent

The fire at 28 Church Street has subsided throughout the day and has not spread beyond the impacted container. There are currently no visible signs of a fire or smoke.

Most importantly, there have been no injuries.

Orange County Hazmat has been providing continuous air monitoring since the start of the event at the site, and the readings show no alarm levels since testing began. Hazmat will continue to monitor air quality.

There will be a physical presence at the site 24/7 until the incident is resolved.

December 20, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Convergent issued the following statement

At 10:15 PM last night, December 19, a fire alarm at our Church Street facility triggered the activation of the emergency response plan. Unfortunately, there is a fire localized in one of the containers. We can confirm there have been no injuries and that the fire has not spread to adjacent containers. Emergency services have been monitoring the situation on-site since the start, and we are grateful for their professionalism and rapid deployment.

We are on-site as well, and our focus is on supporting their response.

Orange County Hazmat has been providing continuous air monitoring since the start of the event at the immediate site, and the readings show no alarm levels. Hazmat will continue to monitor air quality at the site and at downwind locations.

Our top priority is to keep people safe. Accepted best practice is to contain the fire, cool the area, and manage it while protecting nearby structures and equipment.

Our systems are monitored 24/7 through a mixture of automated sensors and human monitored cameras and controls. If certain alarms trigger, the system automatically shuts down, as happened here. Human operators have a manual “emergency stop,” which our operator then activated.

We have idled this system until we can enter the site and learn more about what happened.

The immediate next steps are to contain and resolve the incident. It is too early to speculate what caused the incident and we will continue to work closely with the Fire Department, Police Department, and the Village of Warwick.

December 19, 2025

The Warwick Fire Department, Warwick Police Department Chief John Rader, Village Mayor Michael Newhard, and members of the Village Board, Trustees Carly Foster and Mary Collura and Town Supervisor Jesse Dwyer, went live on Facebook to provide the public with an update on the current situation and the information available at the time regarding the battery fire.