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Energy Storage Fire & Safety

As battery energy storage systems (BESS) and other clean technologies become more common, public concern over fire risk has grown, often fueled by misunderstanding or outdated data. Here is a clear, evidence-based look at the record.

BESS and other renewable systems are significantly safer than our fossil fuel energy systems of pumps, pipelines, refineries, plants, and residential and commercial structures. The widespread adoption of BESS directly reduces the need to rely on those systems, and provides many additional practical benefits.

Clean energy systems require a source of generation (wind, solar, hydropower), a place to store that energy (BESS), and distribution infrastructure. Fossil fuel systems require a more complex and messy logistics pipeline of extraction, refinement, and transport, which leaves multiple vulnerabilities to fire and other accidents.

The fossil fuel baseline

What the United States experiences every year, on average

Annual averages drawn from federal incident databases and national fire statistics.

0
Oil pipeline incidents1
0
Oil spills2
0
Oil refinery incidents3
0
Gas leaks4
0
Home heating fires5
0
Home cooking fires5
0
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
In damage
10%increased risk of cancer for those living next to an oil refinery, per a rigorous study.6
22,000gas leaks occurred in New York City alone, often caused by poor or decaying infrastructure within buildings.7
1 in 5deaths worldwide occur due to air pollution from fossil fuels, Harvard estimates.8
460,000+deaths since 2003 attributed to particulate matter from coal power plants.9
Many fossil fuel incidents are large, explosive, and cause immediate tragic loss of life and property even in the best cases. BESS and clean energy incidents, in addition to being dramatically more rare, do not compare in devastation to property and people.
How BESS compares

Battery storage incidents dropped 97% in five years

BESS technology is rapidly evolving in its safety and stability. Single incidents often immediately trigger legislation, regulations, and adjustments that are quickly implemented in future energy storage applications.

2018
9.2 faults per GW
2023
0.2 faults per GW
97% decline in the battery storage incident rate between 2018 and 2023.10
65%

of these faults were due to improper operation and integration, which emphasises the need for proper workforce training in BESS.10

11%

started in the battery cell or module itself.10

The rules that changed
UL 954011 and UL 9540A12 — national energy storage safety standards that add rigorous protocols to new BESS systems.
NFPA 85513 — the standard for installation of stationary energy storage systems.
Model Energy Storage Ordinance Framework14 — released June 2025 by the American Clean Power Association, addressing issues present in older energy storage systems.
Real-time Battery Management Systems15 — catch thermal runaway events 50 to 80 cycles before they occur.
NYSERDA Quality Assurance15 — 57 in-field inspections of BESS facilities over 300 kW, leading to enhanced facility oversight, inspection process, and code recommendations.
Anatomy of an incident

Two New York events, side by side

One caused by fossil fuels, the other by energy storage.

2014 · Fossil fuel

East Harlem Gas Explosion16

  • Caused by a leaking natural gas pipeline under a residential street
  • Explosion destroyed two apartment buildings instantly
  • 8 fatalities, 50+ injuries, many displaced
  • Fires raged for hours, with widespread debris and property damage
  • Actual steps to future prevention remain murky and currently unknown
2023 · Energy storage

East Hampton BESS Incident17

  • Triggered by an overheating module in a utility-scale lithium-ion battery system
  • Automatic safety systems detected the issue and initiated safe shutdown
  • No deaths or injuries, minimal damage
  • Contained to the storage unit, with no explosive fuel or fire spread
  • Prompted direct and effective legislation and regulation preventing recurrence
This comparison underscores a critical point: while fossil fuel accidents often produce catastrophic explosions, fatalities, and widespread damage, modern BESS systems are designed with containment and fail-safes that minimize risk.
What stops fires in a BESS

Fire Prevention Systems18

Layers that detect a problem early and shut the affected equipment down before a fire can develop.

Battery Management Systems

Keep cells within safe temperature ranges.

Voltage & temperature sensors

Detect abnormal conditions early.

Automatic disconnects & fuses

Isolate any cell or rack that overheats.

Metal separators & flame-retardant cell fill

Slow heat and fire spread.

Automated shutdown protocols

Activate before a fire develops.

Remote monitoring & control

Allows human operators to depower or isolate the system.

Smoke, heat & gas detectors

Identify incipient thermal runaway.

Pre-planned emergency procedures

Coordinated with local fire departments.

Fire Suppression Systems18

If an event does begin, these contain it to the unit where it started.

Steel & fire-rated enclosures

Surround the entire system.

Fire gaps & firewalls

Contain runaway events.

Clean-agent gas

Releases inert gas to extinguish fires.

Water mist & sprinkler deluge

Releases water and mist.

Pressure relief vents

Safely release any build-up of gases.

Aerosol or dry-chemical agents

The material found in handheld fire extinguishers.

The bottom line

Battery energy storage systems and other clean energy technologies operate under fundamentally different safety assumptions than fossil fuel systems. Despite being newer technology, modern BESS units are already rapidly growing safer year by year, and regulations with protocols are now in place to stop incidents.

Early detection, containment, and automated shutdowns that isolate incidents before they can escalate are now the standard.

BESS is a safe, reliable, and lasting energy storage option.

Watch the Full Seminar

Teatown Lake Reservation’s ELLA seminar walks through the same ground in depth — why storage is needed, how the technology works, what the real risks are, and where the industry is headed.

Hosted by Teatown Lake Reservation. Open on YouTube.

References (18)
  1. PHMSA, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration incident data
  2. NOAA IncidentNews, oil spill records
  3. U.S. Chemical Safety Board, completed investigations
  4. NFPA Journal, natural gas safety
  5. U.S. Fire Administration, residential fire causes
  6. National Library of Medicine, refinery proximity and cancer risk
  7. Energy Policy, natural gas leaks in New York City buildings
  8. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, fossil fuel air pollution mortality
  9. NIH Research Matters, deaths associated with coal power plant pollution
  10. Energy-Storage.news, failure incident rate dropped 97% between 2018 and 2023
  11. UL 9540 and 9540A explained
  12. UL Solutions, UL 9540A test method
  13. NFPA 855, stationary energy storage systems
  14. American Clean Power Association, BESS Model Ordinance (PDF)
  15. NYSERDA, energy storage quality assurance briefing
  16. NTSB, East Harlem pipeline rupture and fire accident report (PDF)
  17. The East Hampton Star, after fire at substation, new battery worries
  18. StatX, fire suppression for battery energy storage systems