Battery storage rules: Blandford (Hampden County), MA
Blandford's November 17, 2025 special town meeting adopted a moratorium on large ground-mounted solar and battery storage through May 31, 2026. On March 11, 2026 the Attorney General disapproved it under G.L. c. 40A §3, finding no articulated health, safety or welfare justification for it.
Blandford: the Attorney General disapproved the battery storage moratorium (March 11, 2026)
The Attorney General disapproved the town's battery storage moratorium on March 11, 2026 (Case #12153) under G.L. c. 40A §3, finding no articulated health, safety or welfare justification "even for a short amount of time." Attorney General decision, Blandford, Case #12153 (March 11, 2026)
Fire and building codes in force
- 527 CMR 1.00 (NFPA 1, 2021 edition, with Massachusetts amendments), effective December 9, 2022; Chapter 52 references NFPA 855 (2020 edition)
- Permit from the head of the local fire department for energy storage above NFPA 855's threshold quantities (MassDEP gives 20 kWh for lithium-ion)
- 780 CMR, 10th edition of the State Building Code (2021 I-Codes base), effective October 11, 2024; it sends energy storage fire safety to the fire code
- Electrical code: NFPA 70 (2026 edition)
How a project is permitted
Projects of 100 MWh or more: one consolidated permit from the Energy Facilities Siting Board (rules apply to filings from July 1, 2026; the Board must decide within 15 months of finding the application complete). Smaller projects: the town's zoning and permits; the developer may choose a consolidated local permit, which the town must decide within 12 months or issue a constructive approval permit, and every town must accept that application from October 1, 2026 (Chapter 239 of the Acts of 2024; 225 CMR 29.00). Ask your town how its zoning treats battery storage and which tier your project falls in.
Sources
- Attorney General decision on Blandford's moratorium (Case #12153) Office of the Attorney General (copy hosted by the State Impact Center)
Check a specific system
For a proposal or a system you're evaluating, answer a few questions in BESScheck: you get the rules that apply here, a checklist of what to ask, and the sources behind each line.