County supervisors on Wednesday approved policies regulating the approval and operation of future energy-storage sites in unincorporated areas.
They fell short, however, of imposing a moratorium on new facilities despite last week’s lithium battery fire at an Escondido storage facility which prompted evacuation orders and warnings,
The Board of Supervisors, on a 4-1 vote, approved additional requirements for fire suppression technical reports and/or disclosures to ensure new battery energy storage systems go “above and beyond” current code requirements.
The board vote came after a lengthy public hearing and discussion among the supervisors on how to regulate the systems, which some residents have criticized as dangerous to their communities.
Supervisors also nixed a proposal that would have required new facilities to use modular designs within an enclosure, and have projects follow National Fire Protection Association guidelines.
Based on an amendment from board Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer, the county fire chief will instead “analyze appropriate residential buffer distances based on plume modeling and develop a plan for battery energy storage systems facilities.” The chief is expected to update the board within 45 days.
In a statement, Lawson-Remer said battery storage infrastructure “is necessary for us to meet our climate goals, but these facilities must be sited and built in ways that protect the health and safety of our residents.”
Board Chairwoman Nora Vargas said while public safety was vital, battery storage facilities are an important renewable energy source, and imposing a moratorium on such projects “may not be the best approach.”
She said rather than halting such facilities, the county should approve best practices, including fire suppression plans, she added.
Supervisor Jim Desmond, who was recovering from an illness and participated via teleconference, voted no.
Supervisor Joel Anderson said in a statement that as an elected official representing communities facing extreme fire risk, “it is important that (the board) move forward with the highest and safest standards in the nation in order to protect our residents.”
Before making their decision, supervisors heard from numerous residents in favor of a moratorium.
Stephani Baxter, a Fallbrook Community Planning Group member, said there are two battery energy storage system projects in her area, one of which is near a watershed. She described them not only as a noise nuisance, but also the cause of light pollution and lowered property values.
“If this is truly about conservation and sustainability, I wonder where the environmental advocacy groups are for such a precious watershed,” Baxter added.
Opponents said a moratorium would result in lost jobs and damage the county’s overall climate action goals. Serena Pelka, a policy advocate with the Climate Action Campaign, said the battery facilities helped prevented blackouts during a summer of high temperatures in the county.
“Keeping the lights on saves lives, and keeps our economy stable,” Pelka said. “The board has to ask itself, what is the human-health cost if we stop building battery storage in our region?”
The agenda item had already scheduled for the board, but gained more urgency following Thursday’s fire at the San Diego Gas & Electric facility.
The fire was allowed to burn out by itself, per industry standard, according to a statement from the Escondido Fire Department. One of the site’s 24 cells caught fire.
While no one was injured by the fire, evacuation orders were issued to businesses in the largely industrial part of the city.
Some residents backed the idea of a moratorium. Had supervisors passed one, it could have frozen the proposed AES’ Seguro storage project in Escondido, not far from where Thursday’s fire took place.
The project would be capable of storing up to 320 megawatts or 1,280 megawatt hours worth of energy, several times larger than the facility where the fire started.
Without such facilities, the county could have a difficult time meeting its climate goals.
The battery storage facilities are a component of the county’s green energy goals, storing energy from renewable sources such as solar or wind to use as needed. They are intended as an alternative or at least a supplement to fossil fuel energies such as natural gas and oil.
Since 2021, there have been 45 fires at similar facilities, including one at the Otay Mesa battery storage earlier this year and one in Valley Center last year.
– City News Service
