A group of Morro Bay residents is calling on San Luis Obispo County to enact a moratorium on new battery energy storage system (BESS) projects. The community members raised safety concerns following a string fires at similar facilities across the state.
At this week’s SLO County Board of Supervisors meeting, members of the group Citizens for Estero Bay Preservation urged the board to follow Morro Bay’s lead, and adopt a two-year ban on approving new battery storage projects.
"How many fires do we need to have before we decide BESS plants are not safe?" said Betsey Godet Cross during public comment, referencing a recent fire at a Moss Landing facility that triggered mandatory evacuations due to air quality concerns. "Other counties have adopted moratoriums in California. Let's add our name to the list. Better safe than sorry."
Battery storage is increasingly used to support renewable energy systems, but critics argue the risks of fire and contamination are too great.
Carolyn Kreuger, another member of the Morro Bay group, warned of possible impacts on local agriculture if a fire were to release toxic materials.
“How can farms and wineries guarantee the safety of their products with heavy metals permeating their soil?” she said.
While Kreuger cited Moss Landing as an example, state officials have said there were no elevated levels of metals detected in the soil after that incident.
As of now, county officials report there is only one operational battery storage facility in San Luis Obispo County, and there are no pending applications for new ones.
