The Covina Reliability Project is proposed for 522, 534 and 680 Edna Place in northeast Covina. City documents describe a 110-megawatt battery energy-storage system on two sites totaling approximately 3.4 acres. The proposal would demolish two industrial buildings and requires approval of a site-plan review, conditional-use permit, variance and development agreement.

Planning Commission recommended denial

On June 30, the Planning Commission adopted Resolution 2026-016 PC, formally recommending that the City Council deny the project and its related land-use approvals.

The resolution cites concerns about whether the site is adequate for the proposed facility and the safety, parking, landscaping and other features required by city rules. It also identifies concerns about possible airborne pollutants and fire-related effects, emergency response planning, noise and impacts on neighboring properties, including nearby residences, parks and the Metrolink railway.

The commission’s findings say the application did not adequately address several operational standards, including a fire-safety compliance plan, an operation and maintenance manual, an emergency operations plan, a noise study and procedures for safely shutting down the system during emergency conditions.

The recommendation is not a final denial. The resolution states that the City Council is the decision-making body for the requested entitlements and proposed environmental determination.

What happened at City Council

The council was scheduled to consider the project on July 7, but the agenda item was pulled. LAist reported that Eduardo Lomeli, an associate planner for the city, said no new vote date had been set at the time of publication.

The City of Covina’s project page lists the June 30 Planning Commission recommendation as the latest project update reviewed for this article. The approved city records do not establish a later council decision or hearing date as of July 29, 2026.

Why the delay matters locally

The project is proposed in an area near residences and existing businesses. That proximity has made safety, noise, emergency access, property values and future land use central concerns for nearby residents and property owners.

Separate reporting by the LA Public Press described business relocations and anxiety among some East Edna Place operators before the project received a final city decision. Those reported moves and concerns show that the dispute is affecting how some business owners view the area, but they do not establish that the project caused verified declines in property values or business activity.

For Covina residents, the next meaningful development will be a new City Council agenda, hearing notice or formal action. Until then, the project should be treated as proposed, with a Planning Commission recommendation for denial but no confirmed final council decision.

Residents, nearby businesses and property owners can monitor Covina’s official agendas, minutes and project documents for any revised conditions, new hearing date or council action.

Sources

• City of Covina project page
• LAist: Community backlash in Covina
• LA Public Press: Covina battery project and East Edna Place businesses

The proposal is Local Law Introduction No. 5 of 2025. A Town of Grand Island notice listed an 8 p.m. public hearing for July 20, 2026, to consider possible adoption of the law. The town’s public-notices page continues to list the hearing notice and draft law, but that listing does not establish that the Town Board approved the measure.

What the proposed law would regulate

The draft would create three categories of battery-storage systems. Tier 1 would cover smaller systems. Tier 2 would cover systems used as an accessory use or structure on a property. Tier 3 would cover larger utility- or industrial-grade systems.

The permitting path would vary by tier. Tier 1 systems would generally require a zoning permit, while Tier 2 systems would require site-plan review. Tier 3 systems would require a special-use permit approved by the Town Board after recommendations from the Planning Board, along with site-plan and environmental review.

The draft also proposes review under the State Environmental Quality Review Act, emergency-response and fire-safety plans, screening and fencing plans, emergency-vehicle access, electrical and building-code compliance, noise review, and limits on disturbance of prime farmland and other protected agricultural soils.

Setbacks are a central point of debate

Under the draft, Tier 2 systems generally would need 50-foot side and rear setbacks and could not be located within 200 feet of an occupied residence on an adjacent property.

Tier 3 systems generally would need to be at least 100 feet from a public road, 150 feet from side and rear property lines, and 200 feet from occupied residences and property lines bordering schools, public parks, airports or other public places that could be affected. These are proposed standards, not rules currently in effect.

At a May 2026 hearing, an energy developer and business representatives argued that some restrictions could make projects more difficult to build or discourage investment. The developer advocated changes to certain setback requirements; those requested changes have not been presented as approved amendments.

A town engineer and resident urged stronger protections. Fire-safety and emergency response have also been significant issues. Comments from the Grand Island Fire Company raised concerns about thermal runaway, evaluating individual sites and the operational challenges of responding to battery-storage incidents. Those comments address potential risks and emergency planning; they do not establish that any specific facility is unsafe.

What happens next

Niagara Frontier Publications reported that the Town Board referred the proposal back to the Planning Board after the May hearing so the board could consider public comments in its recommendations to the Town Board.

The next meaningful developments could include a Planning Board recommendation, a revised draft, another public hearing, a Town Board resolution or a formal adoption notice. Until an official record confirms final action, Grand Island’s battery-storage framework remains a proposal under review rather than current zoning law.

Sources

• Town of Grand Island public notice and draft law
• Niagara Frontier Publications hearing report

The measure is Introductory Local Law No. 5 of 2026, which would amend Warwick’s zoning code (Chapter 164) to regulate where BESS can be located across the town, including the Village of Greenwood Lake.

What Warwick’s proposed BESS law would do

Warwick’s summary says the draft is designed to protect public health and safety while still allowing some residential and commercial battery storage—and limiting larger, utility-scale facilities.

Among the key highlights described in the town’s materials:

• Utility-scale battery storage would be effectively barred: the draft would prohibit large-scale battery storage facilities greater than 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) anywhere in Warwick, and says only systems up to 1 MWh may be considered.
• A three-tier system for BESS: Class 0 includes residential/small-scale systems up to 80 kWh; Class 1 covers medium-sized systems serving only on-site demand; and Class 2 covers larger systems up to 1 MWh that may serve off-site demand and require special approvals.
• Stricter location limits near homes and sensitive uses: the summary says no Class 1 or Class 2 systems within 1,000 feet of residences.
• Additional Class 2 limits: the draft would prohibit Class 2 systems within one-half mile of hospitals, schools, colleges, libraries, nursing homes, nurseries, and adult day care facilities.
• Additional Class 2 limits (recreation and worship): the draft would also prohibit Class 2 systems within 1,000 feet of parks, playgrounds, or houses of worship.
• Other prohibited areas: the summary also flags limits such as bans in aquifer protection districts, FEMA flood zones, and areas near historic resources.

Safety and environmental requirements proposed by Warwick

The BESS summary ties the zoning changes to fire safety and emergency planning. It describes requirements including:

• Compliance with the latest NYS Fire Code, NFPA 855, and UL 9540A testing standards (plus NYSERDA guidance)
• Mandatory third-party fire safety inspections
• 24/7 remote monitoring
• Detailed emergency response plans and annual training exercises with local emergency responders
• For larger systems, emergency runoff containment sized to hold at least 10,000 gallons of potentially contaminated firefighting water
• PFAS-based fire suppression systems are prohibited, along with stormwater controls

Public hearing date and how to comment

Warwick’s materials say the public hearing for Introductory Local Law No. 5 of 2026 is scheduled to begin Thursday, July 23, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. at Warwick Town Hall. The town also says the public review phase—and the possibility of draft changes based on public input—will continue at least through the Aug. 13 Town Board meeting.

Written comments may be submitted:

• By email to the Town Clerk at clerk@townofwarwickny.gov
• By mail to the Warwick Town Board, 132 Kings Highway, Warwick, NY 10990

The Town also says residents can use a new online public input portal connected to the draft materials.

Why Greenwood Lake-area residents should pay attention

Because Warwick regulates zoning for areas that include the Village of Greenwood Lake, these proposed standards could affect whether larger battery storage projects are feasible near Greenwood Lake and other town hamlets/villages—and what kind of projects could fit if the town adopts the framework after public input.

Sources

• Town of Warwick — BESS Law Summary (PDF)