Orange County's proposed battery storage plant causes concern for residents
A proposed battery storage facility in San Juan Capistrano has sparked concerns about potential fires.
"The fire risk is insanity," homeowner Debbie Haag said. "There's horses. There's people. There's homes; so much at stake here, and we have to stop this."
If the California Energy Commission approves the project, the facility will be built in an open field next to thousands of homes, a railroad, the 5 Freeway, San Juan Creek and a school. The CEC will hold an information meeting on May 29.
"No decisions will be made at the meeting and the CEC does not advocate for or against proposed energy projects," staff wrote in a statement. "The safe development and operation of battery energy storage systems is a top priority for the CEC and its partner agencies."
The proposal in San Juan Capistrano calls for Compass Energy to build a 250 megawatt lithium battery storage system. The homeowners are worried about their safety after a facility at the Moss Lander Power Plant in Northern California and another in San Diego County caught fire.
"This facility, with all of those batteries, is equivalent to 12,000 Teslas, is not going to be manned," homeowner Theresa Ford said.
Ford started the group BLESSIN, which stands for Banning Lithium Energy Storage Systems in Neighborhoods.
"There will not be a single employee at this facility," she said. "It will all be monitored by the cameras or alarm systems."
Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley joined the homeowners and objected to the state commission taking away local control of the land. The county is working on a zoning plan for future battery storage systems.
"Right now, just plopping it down in a high-risk fire zone next to a river, a neighborhood, schools, open space and creek in the railroad tracks is just a terrible idea," she said.
Renee Robin, Director of Permitting and Planning for ENGIE North America and proponent of the project, issued the following statement to KCAL News:
"ENGIE is a leader in clean energy and is committed to delivering safe energy storage projects that help protect the local environment and surrounding communities, while providing economic benefits, enhancing grid reliability, and reducing emissions. The Compass Energy Storage Project in Orange County will deliver 250 megawatts of clean energy storage and more than $50 million in local economic benefits. The site is uniquely suited and uniquely viable, leveraging existing SDG&E infrastructure to help minimize environmental impact on previously disturbed land, and without the need to construct new transmission lines through neighborhoods. With energy demand expected to double in this area in the coming years, the Compass Energy Storage project is positioned to provide one of the safest, cleanest, and most responsible ways for meeting that demand."
