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Los Banos residents raise safety concerns over battery storage project approved near city
Summary
At the City Council public forum, resident Mary Hannes warned that a 15‑acre battery energy storage system (BESS) approved by the Merced County Planning Commission could pose wildfire and access risks for Los Banos, citing the recent Moss Landing fire and calling for local oversight and firefighter preparedness.
Mary Hannes, a resident of Los Banos, urged the City Council during the public forum to take note of a battery energy storage system approved by the Merced County Planning Commission that will sit about nine miles south of the city.
Hannes said the technology behind large, utility‑scale battery storage is “still relatively new” and warned of fire risks, telling the council: “Imagine, if you will, a fire similar to the recent Moss Landing fire happening 9 miles south of town.” She said local firefighters are untrained for that type of blaze, that fires of this kind “cannot be put out with water,” and that suppression requires special materials.
Why it matters: Hannes told the council she and other residents presented concerns to the county planning commission before it approved the 15‑acre project, and she said site access and emergency response are additional problems. She told the council the roads to the site are “country county roads … in unsafe or unpaved condition,” which become impassable in wet weather and could prevent heavy fire suppression equipment from reaching the location.
Hannes also raised local political concerns, saying the property is owned by AKT Development and noting that “Alana Kanalakis is the current Lieutenant Governor of the State of California,” which she characterized as a potential conflict of interest. She told the council that research identified roughly 10 more similar projects proposed across the state, including sites nearer to Los Banos in Gustine, Lemoore, Hanford and Firebaugh.
Hannes referenced statewide action in response to recent fires, saying Assembly Member Dawn Addis of Morro Bay introduced Assembly Bill 303, the Battery Energy Storage Safety and Accountability Act, intended to raise safety standards and restore local oversight for large BESS projects.
The council did not take action on the matter during the meeting; Hannes spoke during the public forum portion of the agenda, where the council does not act on non‑agenda items. The transcript does not record any staff report or fire department presentation on the project during the meeting.
Looking ahead: Hannes asked the council to note the county’s approval and the potential implications for Los Banos; she urged attention to firefighter training, road access, and whether power from the facilities would primarily leave the local service area. The council did not direct staff to follow up on the specific project during the meeting.
