A consultant says Hadley’s 5-megawatt battery proposal would meet state noise policy with a reduction kit, keeping sound below 34 A-weighted decibels at the property line. The Planning Board closed its hearing; legal review and a vote on conditions are planned for Oct. 6 or 20.
The stand-alone system is planned for a nearly 5-acre former gravel pit and would use five storage containers. The Planning Board rejected plans in 2024, prompting the developers to sue in Hampshire Superior Court; it later resumed review of a nearly identical proposal. The dispute centered partly on the Dover Amendment, a Massachusetts law that can limit local zoning restrictions on certain land uses tied to public health, safety and environmental goals.
At the Sept. 15 hearing, Tech Environmental vice president Marc C. Wallace said the noise-reduction kit would cut sound by 20 decibels. Though insect sounds created substantial background noise during the study, he said the system would still meet the standard under the quietest overnight conditions. Developer Peter Forte said the system must comply with the policy at all times and would be monitored remotely 24 hours a day; he said residents could bring complaints to the building commissioner.
