Oakham Conservation Commission Seeks Legal Opinion on Whether to Hold Battery Storage Hearing

OAKHAM — May 19, 2026 — Oakham Conservation Commission questions whether it must hear a battery storage permit application under current town bylaws. At its May 19 meeting, the commission voted unanimously to continue a wetlands determination hearing at 358 Coldbrook Road, then spent the bulk of its session debating whether it is legally obligated to hold a June 2 notice of intent hearing for Moraga, a battery energy storage system proponent, given that Oakham has no industrial zoning and the Energy Facilities Siting Board has not yet overridden the town's local prohibition. Member Carl argued directly that "today, as we stand, there is no industrial use permitted in Oakham," and the commission agreed to send a formal question to town counsel through Town Administrator Maribel. The commission also reviewed a draft local Wetlands Protection Bylaw — currently with town counsel — that would create 50-foot no-disturb and 100-foot no-build zones around all wetlands and 100-foot no-disturb and 150-foot no-build zones around vernal pools, with enforcement authority that cannot be overridden by DEP appeal and must go to Superior Court to challenge.