As Santa Cruz County officials consider a battery storage facility near Watsonville, experts sought to reassure residents worried after January’s Moss Landing blaze that such facilities are safe.
Battery storage
Posted inPolitics & Policy
County to host public meetings on battery energy storage facilities
Months after a massive blaze in Moss Landing, Santa Cruz County will hold public meetings on the safety of battery energy storage facilities. County supervisors are set to consider a proposal to build such a facility near Watsonville.
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PG&E delays restart of Elkhorn battery facility after identifying equipment malfunctions
Pacific Gas & Electric is delaying reopening its Elkhorn battery storage facility after identifying equipment malfunctions. In May, the utility company had announced plans to restart operations at its facility on June 1, after being offline since January following the massive fire at a neighboring facility in Moss Landing.
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‘Not in my backyard’: South County residents renew concerns over battery storage proposal months after Moss Landing blaze
A group of South County residents concerned with a proposal for a 200-megawatt battery storage facility on an apple orchard just outside of Watsonville held a community meeting Monday evening. Residents expressed their disapproval of the project and say they want more transparency from county officials.
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PG&E aims to restart Elkhorn battery facility in June, months after Vistra facility fire
Pacific Gas & Electric plans to restart its Elkhorn battery facility on June 1, months after a fire broke out at the nearby Vistra-owned facility in Moss Land.
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In Moss Landing, activist Erin Brockovich finds a community searching for answers to battery facility fire
Erin Brockovich, whose environmental activism inspired an Oscar-winning film, is serving as a liaison between Moss Landing residents and attorneys in a mass action lawsuit over the January battery storage facility fire. Brockovich joined the lawsuit after receiving dozens of emails from concerned residents. In an interview, she said the Moss Landing community is determined to seek answers.
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Battery storage takes center stage at Santa Cruz climate presentation
Central Coast Community Energy will share information on battery energy storage systems and their relationship to renewable energy during a community meeting in Santa Cruz on March 26.
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Explainer: Is the planned Santa Cruz County battery storage facility safer than Moss Landing?
In the wake of January’s fire at a Moss Landing battery plant, Santa Cruz County residents are pushing back against a proposed Watsonville storage facility. While developers tout new safety measures, experts warn that next-generation batteries come with different risks — not necessarily fewer.
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Citing design flaws, Moss Landing restaurant owners sue Vistra over battery plant fire
A new lawsuit from a pair of local restaurant owners alleges that Vistra Corp., owner of the Moss Landing battery plant that erupted in flames in January, knew about design flaws that exacerbated the fire.
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Public outcry grows as residents urge Santa Cruz County to halt battery proposal amid Moss Landing disaster
One month after a lithium-ion battery storage facility just south of the Santa Cruz-Monterey county line erupted into a dayslong blaze that sent plumes of toxic smoke into the air, residents from across Santa Cruz County say they are frustrated by the lack of information and engagement they’ve received from the local government. On Tuesday, several residents demanded a town hall meeting, and vocally opposed any progress on a lithium-ion battery storage facility proposed for outside Watsonville.