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Vacaville residents press city to weigh in on nearby Corby battery storage; staff drafting CEC comment letter
Summary
Public speakers asked Vacaville to be present at a Nov. 6 California Energy Commission meeting about a county battery storage project and urged the council to press regulators on fire‑safety and water concerns.
Public speakers at the Oct. 28 Vacaville City Council meeting urged the city to take a visible role in an upcoming California Energy Commission (CEC) meeting about the Corby Battery Energy Storage Facility in Solano County. A resident told the council the CEC will hold a combined in‑person and Zoom meeting Nov. 6 and asked the city to attend even though the facility lies outside Vacaville's jurisdiction, saying, “if there's an accident at this facility, that wind is not going to understand where the city ends and the county begins.”
Council members asked how council members may participate and whether speaking publicly could create conflicts. The city attorney advised that council members may attend and speak as individuals; if the council adopts a formal position, members may speak on behalf of the council. The community development director, Erin Morris, told the council that "staff is working on a letter to the CEC to be delivered as public as staff comments at their meeting next week" and that the draft will be reviewed by the city manager and legal staff before submission. Morris said the forthcoming staff letter will articulate concerns similar to a previously approved Middle River letter and will include fire‑service and water‑supply impacts identified by the Vacaville fire marshal.
Council discussion and public comment emphasized shared regional risk from county‑sited infrastructure and asked staff to coordinate with Solano County and local fire officials. No formal council vote was taken; staff reported they are drafting public comments and will return to the council with the draft for review.
Why it matters: Nearby county energy projects can create public‑safety, fire‑response and infrastructure impacts that cross jurisdictional boundaries. The council's planned staff comments to the CEC aim to register Vacaville concerns with the state regulator and to coordinate with the county on mitigation measures.
