Flatiron Energy recently filed a Project Notification Form for “Project Lite Brite,” a 200-megawatt battery energy storage system (BESS) facility located in Brighton, Massachusetts, initiating Article 80 review with the City of Boston. VHB is managing the Article 80 review process for the facility, which is being designed by RODE Architects.
Project Lite Brite is one of the first utility-scale BESS projects in the Commonwealth, and the first BESS of its size to be reviewed under Article 80, which is a component of Boston’s zoning code that reviews proposed development for impacts, including on transportation, public health, and the environment. In addition to managing the overall filing, VHB prepared relevant technical studies, such as on impacts to transportation, air quality, and noise, to support the project.
Said Seth Lattrell, VHB’s Massachusetts Energy Market Lead and Project Manager for the Flatiron Energy BESS, "As one of the first transmission-scale storage projects in the state, the project plays an outsized role in paving a path for projects to come, helping Massachusetts advance its carbon-reduction goals and build a more resilient energy system."
When it is complete, the BESS will be enclosed in a modern, two-story building that features pleasing curved lines and eye-catching metal paneling. Surrounding the building is a bioretention basin and an infiltration basin to improve stormwater runoff in the heavily developed area. The plans also include invasive species removal, tree plantings, and absorbent ground cover—all aimed at enhancing the facility's resiliency to extreme weather events.
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Email Seth Lattrell or connect with him on LinkedIn to learn more about VHB’s work on Project Lite Brite.