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Laguna Niguel leaders urge residents to attend May 29 California Energy Commission hearing on proposed battery storage facility
Summary
Council members described growing local opposition to a proposed battery storage project near homes and schools, said the Energy Commission will hold a public hearing May 29 (location to be determined in Orange County) on the project's environmental review, and urged residents to submit comments and attend in person.
Laguna Niguel — City leaders on May 20 urged residents to attend and submit comments to the California Energy Commission (CEC) ahead of a May 29 public hearing on a proposed battery energy storage facility near residential areas and schools.
Mayor Ray Genoway told the council the project has drawn strong local opposition and that the city is focused on safety concerns. “The 270 day clock has started. It started on April 30. The very first public hearing will be on May 29,” Genoway said, and asked residents to show up for the hearing.
City Manager Letourneau said the CEC planned to begin the hearing at 1 p.m. May 29, with the precise Orange County location to be determined. Letourneau summarized the planned format: a CEC staff presentation on the process and scope of environmental review, an applicant presentation, a staff safety-standards briefing, a presentation by the CEC Office of the Public Advisor on public participation and tribal consultation, government comments, and a public-comment period both in person and virtually. She added that if the meeting cannot accommodate all public comments, the CEC intends to hold a virtual continuation on June 3.
Why it matters: Council members voiced concern about emergency access and proximity to sensitive sites. Genoway said the city and other stakeholders—including the Capo Unified School District and Orange County Transportation Authority—have emphasized risks if an incident occurs and noted evacuation-route constraints near the proposed facility. Genoway said Capo Unified staff raised a scenario in which students at Capo Valley High School could be required to evacuate toward the site, a condition he called “a major problem.”
Council and staff reported recent local outreach: Mayor Pro Tem Johns, Genoway, Assemblymember Diane Davies and city staff met with a member of the California Energy Commission and the commission’s executive director during a site-visit-style outreach session. Genoway and other councilmembers described recent community-organizing events and a packed public meeting at Crown Valley Community Center organized by a local group identified in the transcript as Blesson, which provided expert presentations on fire and battery safety.
The city’s web page offers a link for submitting comments to the CEC; staff repeatedly encouraged written comments and in-person attendance. Letourneau said the meeting will address the notice of preparation for the draft environmental documents the CEC will prepare and that the hearing is the first of several opportunities for local testimony.
No final city action was taken at the May 20 meeting on the project; council remarks and staff briefings were informational and focused on encouraging public participation in the CEC process.
