The Moss Landing fire – where do we go from here?

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The people of Moss Landing are experiencing what the people of Pajaro and Capitola have experienced before them. Three weeks after the catastrophic fire, news cameras and reporters are slipping away, they must deal with the aftermath while out of the spotlight.

This past weekend, I stopped to see Kim Solano at the Haute Enchilada Café in Moss Landing. She – along with other local restaurants, shops, and bed-and-breakfasts – shut down when Highway 1 was closed and the area evacuated. While reopened, they have not financially recovered, so please stop for a meal, buy something, or stay overnight.

Where do we go from here?

I have asked for a complete, independent investigation. Scientific studies have come out piecemeal since the fire. The public deserves a complete investigation that is vetted in public. We need to know how the fire started, what can be done better in the future, and understand the public and ecological health impacts of the fire plume. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the County of Monterey along with the relevant state public health agencies are pursuing these investigations. Everyone is working as fast as possible to understand the cause of this fire and we will share any information we receive from the independent investigation. 

In 2023, my Senate Bill 38 required safety plans for battery storage plants. It appears that both Vistra Corp. and Pacific Gas & Electric did not submit these plans directly to Monterey County after the bill became law. They need to do this – and the county needs to advise the public of the adequacy of the plans. SB 38 does not currently contain monetary penalties for noncompliance or set a timeline, but that is potential legislation the office is vetting for this legislative session. 

The effects of a changing climate are here. Scientists point out that the intensity of hurricanes and fires – such as the recent ones in Los Angeles – have increased due to the warming climate. The answer is to put less carbon in the air. Moving away from fossil fuels is key to doing that.

With the national government pulling the U.S. out of the world blueprint for reducing carbon emissions, including the Paris Agreement, California must redouble our efforts toward the goal of zero carbon emissions by 2045, as well as the interim goals on the road to 2045 established by Senate Bill 1020 I authored in 2022.

As we move toward more wind and solar power, we are impacted during times when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing. Battery storage allows for energy reliability – and less reliance on energy produced by fossil fuels – when it stores extra energy produced during windy, sunny times and returns energy to the grid at times when it’s dark and the wind isn’t blowing. Even with this storage, California continues to send solar power to Arizona’s grid, as we do not have enough battery storage to store it here.

California battery storage produced 500 megawatts in 2019, growing to 13,300 megawatts now, with the goal of 52,000 megawatts by 2045. In September 2022, when the electrical grid was on the verge of a blackout, battery storage put more energy online than Diablo Canyon’s nuclear power during a few key hours – and the power stayed on.

Every energy source has had a disastrous incident – whether it’s Chernobyl with nuclear power, bird strikes with wind power and solar towers, or countless incidents with fossil fuel – including a several-day fire in 2003 on the very Moss Landing site that just burned. We recall, too, the loss of lives in San Bruno in 2010 due to a natural gas explosion, and of course the recent, alarming fires at Moss Landing related to battery storage. 

The transition to safer battery storage was underway before the fire. 

The original facilities – like some of those at Moss Landing – included batteries housed indoors, which use a more volatile configuration of lithium. Newer technology has changed to a less volatile mix with lithium. The newer technology also has a different physical configuration, with batteries in enclosed individual containers that have individual fire suppression systems, and are outside on separate cement slabs.  

Think of your smartphone in 2019 and now. In such a short span of time, the smartphone of today performs far faster, with less energy. Similar advancements are being made with battery storage.

Current proposals for new battery storage facilities will utilize newer, much safer components. In Morro Bay, for example, we need to consider the appropriateness of that proposed location; however the proposed technology would be newer, safer technology and not the configuration at Moss Landing. The proposed Watsonville facility would be operated by a different company than Vistra or PG&E, and would purportedly be using the newer and safer technology. Our office will continue to engage with all stakeholders to understand the potential viability for a site in Watsonville.

About 75% of California’s battery storage uses newer, safer technology, while 25% is the older technology, such as what burned at Moss Landing. The state should have discussions about the 25% of battery storage facilities that use older technology. What do we do? Heightened inspection? Safety improvements? Phasing out over time? All of the above? 

Regulatory agencies like the California Energy Commission and CPUC will most likely lead these specific discussions given its statewide implications. Residents should continue to engage with policymakers about how we can make battery storage safer.  

If Vistra’s plant is rebuilt in Moss Landing, it should be with newer, safer technology.

There are no lithium safety standards in California. This is also an issue that extends beyond battery energy storage facilities and includes electric vehicle  battery servicing, operation, and disposal. I am working with the California Professional Firefighters and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) on a possible bill to establish safety standards.

In addition, the CPUC is considering an order about battery storage safety on March 13 – including monitoring whether facilities have complied with SB 38.

There are three major energy goals in California – move away from fossil fuels to a greener electrical grid,  have safe, reliable, renewable energy sources, and keep the lights on. Our job in the coming months and years is to have the public at the table as we decide how to meet each of these goals without sacrificing any of them. 

I have called for a public forum for the Moss Landing facilities to outline their SB 38 plans to the public. We must look at the science and innovate toward clean and safe energy to allow communities to continue to thrive. 

It is a tall order. The future of our state and planet demands it, and the well-being of our communities deserves it.

State Sen. John Laird represents California’s Central Coast and is former secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency.