Commission approves 85‑MW battery storage project at Cota and Rincon Streets

The Planning & Housing Commission on Dec. 18 approved a conditional use permit for an 85‑megawatt, four‑hour battery energy storage facility proposed by Circle City Energy Storage LLC (ENGIE) on 5.53 acres at the northwest corner of Cota and Rincon Streets.

Staff planner Melinda Lopez presented the project as a public utility installation in the M‑1 (light manufacturing) zone and said it would occupy a previously underused heavy‑equipment storage site. Lopez said the project includes about 120 battery enclosures, a front‑of‑board station to convert voltage for Southern California Edison (SCE) interconnection, replacement of two wooden poles with steel poles in the city right‑of‑way, decorative perimeter walls and street‑front landscaping. She recommended the commission find the project exempt from CEQA under categorical exemptions (Classes 32, 1, 2, 3 and 4) and adopt the conditional use permit with conditions of approval (Lopez, staff report).

The applicant, Paul McMillan, ENGIE development director, said the project holds a generation interconnection agreement with SCE and is located on a circuit that can accept the facility’s full capacity. McMillan described the facility’s purpose as storing excess grid generation (primarily solar in daytime) and discharging on evening peak demand; he told commissioners the project can dispatch 85 MW for four continuous hours. McMillan said construction will create most local jobs and that operations will be monitored 24/7 from a remote operations center with local response personnel on call.

Local business and chamber representatives spoke in support. Kim Mabon and Dean Saif of the Corona Chamber said the project would bring streetscape improvements, connectivity to existing transmission lines without adding new poles beyond replacements, and potential benefits to manufacturers. Chad Miller of the Corona Manufacturers Council emphasized the economic risk to local manufacturers from outages and said storage reduces that risk.

Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant on safety and environmental safeguards. Lopez said the proposal includes fire‑safety measures consistent with the National Fire Protection Association and the California Fire Code and requires two private hydrants and fire access meeting a minimum 28‑foot driveway width. Development services staff said the site is outside the special flood hazard zone but must obtain an encroachment permit and technical review from flood control at building permit stage. McMillan described operations and safety practices, perimeter fencing, video monitoring, and an on‑file decommissioning plan tied to the applicant’s long‑term lease with the landowner.

In response to a direct question about incident history, McMillan said ENGIE has no incident record in its operating portfolio and described industry‑standard emergency and containment practices; he said batteries are designed with detection and mitigation measures and that, in some response scenarios, fire crews limit spray to adjacent equipment with runoff routed into on‑site retention and the storm‑water treatment system per applicable requirements.

Commission discussion cited both community benefits and continued concerns. Commissioners noted visual and streetscape improvements in staff renderings and the project’s potential to provide grid reliability during peak hours, while several commissioners emphasized security and proximity to the Temescal/Prado channel and adjacent encampment areas, asking that conditions address access, hydrants, flood‑control coordination and security measures.

The commission moved and seconded approval of CUP2023‑0001; the motion passed.