Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are among the most thoroughly tested and code-governed energy infrastructure deployed, and their safety record is improving dramatically as the technology matures.

BESS Adhere to a Rigorous Safety Framework

Every BESS installed in the United States must meet a layered stack of consensus-based, nationally recognized design, construction, and testing requirements for product safety, installation, and performance:

Fire Department Perspectives are Integral

NFPA 855 requires facility owners to coordinate directly with the local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) before a facility goes live, notify emergency responders of all training dates and locations, and keep emergency operations plans on-site and accessible to first responders at all times. Policymakers can help ensure this existing framework is consistently adopted and enforced.

Reactive Legislation is Counterproductive

Restricting BESS development risks halting the deployment of technology governed by rigorous,
continuously updated national standards—in response to incidents that, in most cases, involved older systems that predate those standards. At the same time, this jeopardizes a local community’s ability to achieve energy affordability, grid resilience and reliability goals.

SEIA and its members are committed partners in advancing responsible deployment of this critical technology.