By Ryan SchwachA freshman Queens councilmember who inherited his predecessor’s beef with a company trying to build a lithium-ion battery storage site in the district wants the governor to pass a moratorium on their construction statewide. “I urge you to apply that same precautionary approach to lithium-ion battery energy storage system facilities proposed in or near residential communities.” The group argues that instances of fires at storage sites have gone down proportionate to the number of sites being built nationwide, and zero deaths have occurred in connection with battery storage facilities to this point. Wong is in an ongoing local battle against the construction of a battery storage site in Middle Village by operator NineDot Energy. On the other side of the debate, one Queens official has penned letters to the governor calling for her to embrace battery storage sites.