Quick Take
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a new law, authored by state Sen. John Laird, requiring battery storage developers to coordinate with local fire departments before submitting an application for their projects, following a massive fire at a facility in Moss Landing.
Nearly nine months after a massive fire at a battery storage facility in Moss Landing, Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a new law from a local state senator aimed at strengthening safety standards for the future development of similar facilities.
Authored by state Sen. John Laird, Senate Bill 283 requires battery storage developers to coordinate with local fire departments before submitting an application to both the state energy commission and local governments for their projects. Under the new law, developers will need to address facility design, assess any possible risks and include emergency response plans in the permit application, in case a fire were to occur. The law goes into effect on Jan. 1.
New facilities will now be required to undergo a safety inspection by local fire officials before they start operating, and developers must cover the costs of those inspections. Laird’s bill also directs the State Fire Marshal to review the design of battery storage facilities and potentially propose restrictions on facilities being built in enclosed buildings to prevent incidents like the one in Moss Landing, which was constructed on the site of a natural gas power plant.
“California must prioritize safety at every step when expanding battery storage to meet its clean energy goals,” Laird said in a media release. “SB 283 ensures that future battery storage facilities are developed with safety and community in mind.”
In August, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to defer taking action on a new county ordinance to regulate battery storage facilities and their development until next month. Supervisors argued that the delay would give county staff enough time to hold public hearings and incorporate the safety lessons from Moss Landing. The board was also waiting for Laird’s bill to be passed and signed by Newsom.
District 4 County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez told Lookout last month that the board wants to review Laird’s bill and any other related legislation and incorporate it into a local ordinance. Supervisors are expected to have their first hearing on a battery storage ordinance at a Nov. 18 meeting.
Conversations surrounding the ordinance garnered attention from residents, many of whom are calling for more safety measures to be put in place following the blaze in Moss Landing, and ahead of any decision on whether to approve a battery storage facility being proposed for just outside of Watsonville.
The 300-megawatt facility located in Moss Landing — the world’s largest battery storage site — caught fire on Jan. 16. It contained nearly 100,000 lithium-ion battery modules. More than half of the batteries were damaged after the incident. The blaze continued at the site in Monterey County, just south of the Santa Cruz County line, until Jan. 18. It flared up again a month later, on Feb. 18, and was finally extinguished a day later, on Feb. 19.
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