Council approves entitlements for 250‑MW battery storage project at 2150 Geneva; conditions include development agreement, community benefits and safety reviews

Daly City Council voted Feb. 24 to approve a package of planning entitlements needed for a proposed battery energy storage system (BESS) at 2150 Geneva Avenue, after an extended public hearing, presentations by city staff and the applicant, and comments from neighborhood and labor representatives.

Project and approvals The applicant (referred to in the staff report as Cormorant Energy/Rivon) sought a general plan amendment, zoning change from light commercial to heavy commercial, a use permit for an energy storage facility, design review, certification of a mitigated negative declaration (MND) under CEQA and a development agreement. Staff described the site as an approximately 11‑acre vacant lot currently used for vehicle and building materials storage. The facility as proposed would be built in phases with a total capacity up to about 250 megawatts and would connect via a new underground 115‑kilovolt transmission line to the PG&E Martin Substation. The project includes a substation transformer area, outdoor battery enclosures and perimeter screening and landscaping.

The planning commission recommended approval of the project in December 2024. Staff said the MND and mitigation monitoring and reporting program address potential environmental impacts and that an additional CEQA memo concluded a…