When a massive fire broke out at one of the world’s largest lithium-ion battery storage facilities in Monterey County, it not only sent smoke into nearby communities, but also threw a pole into the future of California’s clean energy industry.
The fire at the Moss Landing power plant that started on January 16 burned for five days and ultimately destroyed about 80% of the batteries in the building. Now, as the smoke clears, Monterey-area officials are warning the blaze could be a harbinger as the nation increases its reliance on renewable energy, electric vehicles and other battery-powered devices.
“I know Green is good, but we have to move slowly,” Monterey County Superintendent Glenn Church told the Times. “What we’re doing with this technology is way ahead of government regulation and way ahead of industry’s ability to control it.”
The fire earlier this month was the fourth at Moss Landing since 2019 and the third at a building owned by Texas-based Vistra Energy. The plant is located off Highway 1 about 18 miles northeast of the city of Monterey.
Already, the fire has prompted calls for additional safety regulations around battery storage and local control over where storage sites are located. Officials are also requesting that Moss Landing remain in place until the investigation is complete and extensive safety improvements are implemented.
Assembly Member Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) introduced Assembly Bill 303 (Battery Energy Safety and Accountability Act), which would require local engagement in the permitting process for battery or energy storage facilities, and would allow such sites to A buffer should be established to keep set distances away from sensitive areas such as schools, hospitals, and natural habitats.
“We believe we are in a climate crisis and we need solutions,” Addis said at a press conference Thursday. “But along with these solutions, we have to be able to have safety.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom, a fierce advocate of clean energy, said an investigation is needed to determine the cause of the fire and supports taking steps to make Moss Landing and similar facilities safer. I agree, his spokesman Daniel Villaseñor said in a statement.
Addis and two other state lawmakers requested an investigation from the California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday.
“The Moss Landing facility represents a vital part of our state’s energy future, but this tragic fire has undermined public confidence in utility-scale lithium-ion battery energy storage systems.” the letter states. “If we are to ensure California advances its climate and energy goals, we must demonstrate an unwavering commitment to safety.”
Vistra has committed to an internal investigation into the incident, conducted soil testing and is cooperating fully with state and local investigations.
Officials said during an emergency briefing after the fire that a plume released by the plant contained toxic compounds, according to county spokesman Nick Pascali.
However, initial tests from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determined that the levels of toxic gases emitted by batteries containing hydrogen fluoride do not pose a threat to public health during a fire.
Still, many residents remain ambivalent about the potential long-term impacts on communities near Watsonville, Castroville, Salinas and the ecologically sensitive Elkhorn Slough Estuary.
“I had to experience and witness such an attack not only on people, but on trees and the environment in general,” local resident Sylvia Morales told the Times. “The later stages may be long-term. I’m seriously concerned about the fact that the plants are adjacent to organic farms that are producing food.”
According to North County Fire District Chief Joel Mendoza, several factors contributed to the fire’s rapid spread and complicated firefighter response.
The firefighting system, which is part of every battery rack at the plant, failed, leading to a chain reaction of batteries catching fire, he said at a news conference last week. The plant’s broken camera system and superheated gases then made it difficult for firefighters to intervene.
Firefighters were unable to use water as the fire began to spread. Doing so can cause a violent chemical reaction in the lithium-ion battery, potentially causing it to ignite or explode.
The scale of the fire alarmed local residents and officials, who had already experienced several small fires at the factory and were worried about what would happen if major changes were not made.
Compounding these concerns is a new battery storage site proposed in an unincorporated area of Santa Cruz County near Watsonville. An online petition to stop the establishment of any more battery storage facilities in Monterey or Santa Cruz counties has gathered more than 2,900 signatures.
The Monterey County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to declare a local state of emergency and send a letter to Vistra and Pacific Gas and Electric Co., which stores batteries at the plant. .
Ed Mitchell, a local resident who was speaking on behalf of a newly formed community group called the Moss Landing Fire Community Recovery Group, told supervisors the potential for electric batteries is exciting.
But, he added, “it’s not thrilling, it’s scary technology that doesn’t work.”
Times staff writer Nathan Solis contributed to this report.
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