Monterey County ad hoc urges halt to indoor battery projects, schedules monthly public updates after Moss Landing fire

The Monterey County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 25 accepted recommendations from an ad hoc committee formed after the Jan. 16 Moss Landing battery fire and directed county staff to hold public update meetings at least once a month until cleanup is complete.

County counsel Susan Blich read five recommendations developed by the ad hoc committee, which include opposing any future indoor battery storage facilities in the county; requiring existing battery facilities to be upgraded to current industry safety standards, including consideration of non-lithium technologies and improved fire suppression; coordinating remediation and recovery with the operator, Vistra Energy; urging Vistra and Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) not to resume operations at affected sites until the cause of the Jan. 16 incident is determined and safety remediation is implemented; and urging Vistra and PG&E to halt expansion of battery storage until state legislation establishing stronger safety rules is passed.

“The county really doesn't hold a strong hand of cards when it comes to utilities such as Vistra or PG&E,” Supervisor Clint Church told the board during the discussion, urging a cautious approach while state-level rules…