Battery energy storage is a critical part of a clean energy future. It enables the nation’s electricity grid to operate more flexibly, including a critical role in accommodating higher levels of wind and solar energy. At the same time, it can reduce demand for electricity generated by dirty, inefficient fossil fuel power plants that harm local communities.

New energy storage projects usually consist of banks of lithium-ion batteries which can offer community benefits such as resiliency. But they may also raise questions related to health and safety for those living near these systems.

So what is community-scale storage? Are these batteries a fire hazard? Can lithium-ion batteries be recycled? You can find the answers to these and more frequently asked questions below.