Know which project a reference describes
The BPU’s March 4, 2026 order lists a 150 MW award to Two Rivers Energy Storage LLC in Ridgefield, Bergen County. Elevate Renewables’ March 16 announcement calls its project Garden State Reliability, also known as Two Rivers Storage, and describes development at the existing Bergen Generating Station.
The award is a state incentive decision; the announcement is the developer’s description. Neither establishes that a separate parcel qualifies or that the named facility is operating. If an offer mentions these names, ask whether it concerns that project, a requested land right for it or a different proposal. Sunland is not presented here as the named developer’s representative.
Reference: New Jersey BPU: March 4, 2026 storage award order · Elevate Renewables: March 16, 2026 Garden State Reliability announcement
Existing infrastructure still needs usable rights
For a proposal near a power facility, ask exactly what the battery team expects to use: an entrance, electrical route, substation area or shared equipment. Request a drawing that connects the battery area to those facilities and identifies any land outside the proposed lease.
Find out which entity owns each asset and who can authorize its use. A reference to common ownership is not a substitute for understanding the rights in your agreement. Ask whether another operator’s consent is needed and what happens if that consent is withheld or withdrawn. If the connection requires new equipment, have that work identified separately.
| Proposed shared feature | Owner question |
|---|---|
| Entrance or driveway | Who may use it, and for which work? |
| Cable route | Which parcels and permissions are involved? |
| Existing electrical equipment | What right allows the battery to use it? |
| Operating site | How are responsibilities divided? |
Keep the rest of an operating property usable
If your land already supports a business, tenant or energy use, discuss how battery investigation and construction would affect daily operations. Identify parking, truck circulation, loading, utilities and any space needed for existing maintenance. Put excluded areas on the drawing rather than leaving them as a verbal understanding.
Ask who schedules shared access and how conflicting work would be handled. Find out whether the option lets the developer enter at any time or requires notice and coordination. If changes to an existing entrance or service are proposed, ask who pays for them and who restores access if the battery plan stops.
Want to ask about your land?
Send the location and what you know. You don’t need a project plan.
Tell us about your landBring a separate parcel to the local zoning office
Ridgefield’s Building Department page identifies zoning resources, a zoning officer and a zoning map. Start with the actual site address, block and lot, current use and a description of the proposed battery. Ask which current use classification and local review route apply to that design.
Do not assume that an existing generating station and an ordinary industrial parcel have the same approvals. Request any decision the developer relies on and the drawing it covers. If there is no decision yet, ask which applications remain. A statement that the site is industrial does not explain every permission needed for storage.
Reference: Ridgefield Borough: building department and zoning resources
Separate existing site duties from new project duties
Ask what site reports, restrictions or existing agreements must be reviewed before investigation begins. Have the developer identify the work it proposes and any responsibility it asks you to assume. If there are older industrial uses, establish which party investigates existing conditions and how discoveries would affect the option.
Discuss battery maintenance, insurance, damage, removal and restoration separately from the duties of another facility on the property. Ask who handles an incident and how shared access would work. If the battery project changes ownership, find out how contact details, payment obligations and site responsibilities would be transferred. Existing operations should not leave the new arrangement unclear.
Read the payment terms beside the remaining work
Identify the land held during the option and the smaller or different area expected during operation. Ask what you receive while the property is reserved, who can extend the period and when unused areas are released. Compare those terms with the remaining rights, studies and approval steps.
Find out which milestone starts rent. If the project depends on another facility’s agreement or equipment, ask what happens to your reservation if that dependency fails. A state incentive award is not your lease payment. Have the proposed agreement reviewed for your property and the responsibilities it would place on you.
Start with your location and the arrangement being proposed
Send Sunland your contact details and property location. Add Ridgefield, Bergen County, current use and any existing tenant, shared driveway or power-site relationship. If you have received an offer, mention whether it seeks a battery area, access or an electrical easement.
You do not need to resolve every technical question before asking about your land. We can begin with what you know. Further review still needs to establish the actual rights, connection, layout, approvals and commercial fit. An inquiry does not grant entry or reserve your property.
Questions landowners ask
Does the Ridgefield award qualify my property?
No. It concerns a named project. Your property needs its own review.
Can a battery automatically use a neighboring plant’s connection?
Do not assume that. Ask for the proposed route, rights, approvals and electrical work.
Should an offer distinguish a lease from an access easement?
Yes. Ask which areas and rights are being requested, their duration and their effect on retained land.
Sources & further reading
Sources checked 2026-10-04. Local rules and program details can change. Check the requirements for the actual project.