“We know investigations often lag, but the lack of clear information leads us to ask troubling questions,” the Lookout Editorial Board writes more than a year after the massive fire at the Moss Landing battery storage plant. “Why has it been so hard to get consistent answers from the officials charged with protecting the public?”
Moss Landing power plant fire January 2025
Posted inLatest News
One year after massive fire at Moss Landing battery storage facility, nearby residents have more questions than answers
People who live near Moss Landing still have more questions than answers about the massive fire that started Jan. 16, 2025, at the world’s second-largest battery storage facility.
Posted inLatest News
Cleanup of Moss Landing battery facility continues under EPA oversight; Phase 2 of building demolition to start mid-2026
Battery cleanup and disposal continues at the Moss Landing battery storage facility that burned almost a year ago, according to Monterey County officials. Approximately 12,000 of the 35,772 batteries have been removed and transported for recycling.
Posted inLatest News
Independent study reveals heavy metals near Elkhorn Slough after Moss Landing fire
A study from researchers at San Jose State University’s Moss Landing Marine Laboratories estimates that nearly 55,000 pounds of heavy metals were dumped into soil near Elkhorn Slough following January’s Moss Landing battery fire. It’s the first independent study of the fire’s impacts published in a scientific journal.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Battery storage developer backs Santa Cruz County’s proposed new rules ahead of Tuesday vote
New Leaf Energy, the developer behind the proposed battery storage facility near Watsonville, tells Lookout that the company is hopeful the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors will move ahead on new regulations for battery plants on Tuesday.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Watsonville City Council wants more say in county’s battery storage ordinance
As Santa Cruz County officials work on battery storage facility regulations, members of the Watsonville City Council say they want their concerns to be heard.
Posted inEnvironment
County publishes new draft battery storage rules ahead of first hearing on Nov. 18
After delays, Santa Cruz County officials publish more stringent plans to regulate battery storage facilities ahead of the first public hearings on on the proposed new rules Nov. 18.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘We’re asking for safeguards’: Tensions flare at Watsonville town hall on planned Santa Cruz County battery storage safety law
Weeks before the board of supervisors is scheduled to have the first hearing on a proposed battery storage ordinance, District 4 County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez hosted the informational town hall Monday night at Watsonville’s city hall. Residents came armed with questions — and concerns.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Developer New Leaf assures Watsonville officials its battery storage project would meet safety standards
Massachusetts-based New Leaf Energy briefed the Watsonville City Council this week on details of its proposed $200 million battery storage facility, saying the project would meet all local and statewide requirements.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Newsom signs Laird’s battery storage safety bill in wake of Moss Landing fire
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.