Bruce Blakeman, a Republican contender for governor, has taken a strong stance against Governor Kathy Hochul’s plans for large-scale battery farms, describing them as “toxic” and a threat to the safety of New Yorkers.

Blakeman, who currently serves as Nassau County Executive, is advocating for a statewide prohibition on these expansive lithium-ion battery facilities. These sites are intended to store energy to compensate for the deficits created by Hochul’s aggressive push towards green energy initiatives.

Highlighting the dangers, Blakeman points out that fires involving lithium-ion batteries can escalate rapidly, emit harmful chemicals, and are resistant to conventional firefighting techniques. Furthermore, he notes, traditional methods, such as using water, can exacerbate these fires, placing a significant burden on emergency responders.

The recent fire at a battery plant in Warwick, marking the second incident at that location since 2023, serves as a stark example of the potential hazards associated with these facilities.

Ken Lovett, a spokesperson for Governor Hochul, argues that these battery farms are crucial for addressing possible energy shortages anticipated as early as next year. He contends that these shortages are largely due to Hochul’s reduction in reliance on conventional energy sources.

The state’s climate law mandates a switchover to renewables like wind and solar in the push to “decarbonize” the state’s electric grid by 2040, but those renewables are badly unreliable, hence the “need” for the massive battery farms to store power for when the wind doesn’t blow or the sun goes down.

Instead of rushing to install battery farms everywhere, the state needs to push hard and fast to get reliable, natural-gas-burning electric plants built.

Bad enough that Hochul refuses to admit that her green agenda poses a dire threat to New York; it’s even more shameful that she’s deepening the danger with her risky battery-farm mandates.