Islip residents will have the chance to weigh in on a code change that would block a proposed lithium battery project in Hauppauge that has faced strong community pushback for the past several years.

The Islip Town Board will hold a public hearing today to potentially ban Tier 3 battery energy storage systems.

If approved, the project, as currently proposed for 220 Rabro Dr., would be banned.

Long Island Power Authority and Key Capture Energy are behind the project.

The two organizations previously said they hoped to build the facility to promote clean energy and keep utility bills from rising.

The proposal has received strong pushback from the community, which led the town to issue two year-long moratoriums to gather more information before moving forward.

First responders, community members and elected officials have criticized the project and raised concerns about fire safety, environmental impact and the proximity to Bretton Woods Elementary School, homes and businesses.

Both LIPA and Key Capture Energy have previously tried to reassure the community that the project is safe.

The hearing comes the same month a one-year moratorium is set to expire.

A spokesperson for LIPA referred News 12 to a letter the company's CEO Carrie Meek Gallagher sent to Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter last month.

She wrote in part: "Removing an entire class of resources before that analysis occurs can have the opposite effect. Restricting where viable energy infrastructure can be developed reduces competition, limits available sites and can ultimately increase the cost of serving Long Island customers. At a time when families and businesses are appropriately focused on the affordability of electric service, we should be working together to identify safe and cost-effective solutions rather than unnecessarily eliminating them."

Key Capture Energy said in a statement:

"At a time when electricity prices across Long Island are spiking and the threat of electrical blackouts is increasing, the Board’s decision towards banning utility scale battery energy storage will have real and meaningful negative impacts for residents and businesses not only locally, but across Long Island and require more expensive alternatives. Battery energy storage is safe, and the Town’s actions ignore New York’s updated fire code, which was written with direct input from career fire and safety officials, including FDNY, and is among the strongest in the country. KCE stands ready to work with the Town and others to address concerns and work to ensure that Islip residents have a stable and reliable electric grid in the future."

A spokesperson for the town declined to comment ahead of the hearing.

Tonight's meeting will take place at Islip Town Hall West at 5:30 p.m.