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Orange County extends temporary moratorium on large battery-storage permits as safety rules are drafted
Summary
The Board of Supervisors approved an interim moratorium on permits for utility-scale battery energy storage systems in unincorporated county areas to give staff time to develop permitting, siting and safety standards after recent high-profile battery fires. Utilities and residents urged collaborative rulemaking; the measure passed.
The Orange County Board of Supervisors on March 11 approved an extension of an interim urgency moratorium on permits for utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) in unincorporated parts of the county to allow staff and public-safety agencies time to develop permitting standards.
Supervisor Katrina Foley, who led the item, said the pause is intended to let the county work with the Orange County Fire Authority and local utilities to produce consistent siting and safety rules. "We're trying to be collaborative about this," Foley said, noting staff meetings with SDG&E and…
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