Morro Bay residents were assured battery storage is safe. Moss Landing fire said otherwise [View all]

Vistra’s Moss Landing battery storage facility caught fire on Jan. 16 prompting the evacuation of about 1,200 people. Courtesy of KTVU

Morro Bay residents were assured battery storage is safe. Moss Landing fire said otherwise

SanLuisObispo.com | January 26, 2025

The massive lithium battery fire at Moss Landing confirmed the worst fears of many Californians — including the many Morro Bay residents who have been fighting for years to stop a similar project proposed in their beach community.

Unfortunately, the Jan. 16 fire that destroyed a portion of Vistra Energy’s battery storage facility didn’t tarnish just one company. It was a black mark against the entire industry, and it could make it difficult to site new battery farms in California.

That may be unfair, given that the vast majority of energy storage systems in the U.S. have been operating safely. Yet dramatic photos of flames leaping from a building that housed 100,000 battery modules do not inspire confidence. Nor does the evacuation of 1,200 residents who have lingering doubts about the safety of air and water supplies, despite EPA assurances that there was no release of toxic materials. Nor does the fact that this was the fourth fire at the Moss Landing power station.

In Morro Bay, any remaining goodwill for Vistra’s project has gone up in a cloud of smoke.

Although the proposed new plant would use a different battery configuration and newer technology, it’s hard to trust the company that repeatedly assured the community there would be adequate safety measures in place to prevent accidents. It also shared a report that concluded that even if there were a fire, residents would not be exposed to any health risk.

Who can believe such statements now?
more: https://www.sanluisobispo.com/opinion/editorials/article298930395.html



BATTERIES BATTERIES BATTERIES EVERYWHERE
- Say those invested in Batteries! Imagine that.