California county board grapples with how to handle battery storage projects

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors has unanimously (4-0) voted to adopt new safety standards for battery storage installations, amid fire safety concerns from locals.

In its decision, the Board of Supervisors directed its chief administrative officer, Ebony Shelton, to incorporate new standards for battery storage concerning their location, design, fire risk, hazardous materials, and more, the Times of San Diego reported via City News Service.

At a future meeting, the supervisors also plan to discuss the possibility of implementing an ordinance that would temporarily halt new storage applications.

Local residents had been expressing concern about a proposed storage project, the AES Corporation’s Seguro Battery Energy project, as it would be located in close proximity to homes, Fox 5 San Diego reported. The concerns were reignited after recent fires in the area, including one in May at the Gateway Energy Storage facility in Otay Mesa. AES said it would include fire safety and mitigation methods in its plan.

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Supervisor Jim Desmond noted the recent fires in in Otay Mesa and Valley Center and said he wants to prevent the installation of new battery storage projects near neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, and other public areas, City News Service reported.

From 2018 to 2024, battery storage capacity in California increased from 500 MW to more than 10,300 MW, with an additional 3,800 MW planned to come online by the end of 2024, according to the California Energy Commission (CEC). The state projects 52,000 MW of battery storage will be needed by 2045.

In October 2023, California Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 38 in response to battery storage fires. The bill requires battery storage facilities to develop an emergency response plan in coordination with local emergency response agencies, to establish a notification and communication procedure, and consider potential offsite impacts to the surrounding community and environment.

Senator John Laird (D – Santa Cruz) introduced SB 38 after a fire broke out in September of 2022 at the Elkhorn Battery Storage Facility in Moss Landing, triggering a 12-hour shelter in place for local residents over fear that the lithium-ion battery fire released dangerous fumes into the air.

Originally published by Sean Wolfe on power-grid.com