CA lawmaker calls for end to Morro Bay battery project after Moss Landing fire
The Moss Landing battery plant fire has sparked concerns that Morro Bay isn’t the right place for a similar facility.
On Monday, one California State Assembly member echoed the calls of those constituents — and urged Texas-based energy company Vistra Corp. to abandon its already controversial Morro Bay project.
Vistra’s 750-megawatt battery energy storage facility at Moss Landing caught fire on Thursday afternoon, prompting a partial closure of Highway 1 and the evacuation of about 1,200 residents due to air quality concerns from the column of smoke the fire generated.
No one was injured in the blaze, and the evacuation order was lifted over the weekend. Caltrans has since reopened Highway 1.
Vistra planned to build a 600-megawatt battery energy storage facility at the retired Morro Bay Power Plant property — but Assemblymember Dawn Addis called for an end to the project after the Moss Landing fire.
“We can never have a disaster like this again,” she said in a statement Monday.
Her district stretches from Santa Cruz County to SLO County and includes both Moss Landing and Morro Bay.
Should a battery plant be built in Morro Bay?
Vistra originally applied to the city of Morro Bay in 2021 to build a battery plant on the retired Morro Bay Power Plant property.
Then in October, Vistra withdrew its application from the city, and the company announced plans to seek approval through the California Energy Commission instead.
The California Energy Commission and Coastal Commission can bypass local zoning rules to approve large renewable energy projects like Vistra’s proposed battery plant through an opt-in certification program created by Assembly Bill 205.
On Friday, Vistra told The Tribune it paused its development application for the Morro Bay project.
“Our immediate focus is working with the first responders and leaders of Moss Landing and Monterey County to provide essential information to the community,” Vistra spokesperson Meranda Cohn said in an emailed statement. “Our company’s top priority is safety. A comprehensive investigation of this incident will be conducted following this event, which will inform our current and future energy storage operations.”
Vistra’s Morro Bay project was not listed as an applicant on the opt-in certification program’s website as of Tuesday.
Addis urged Vistra to abandon the Morro Bay project altogether.
“While we urgently need climate solutions, they must be safe for our communities and environment,” she said. “For the past four days, my full attention has been on the battery energy storage system fire at the Moss Landing Power Plant in Monterey County. We can never have a disaster like this again. We all deserve solutions that prioritize safety and sustainability.”
State Senator John Laird declined to comment on the battery plant proposed for Morro Bay, but he called for Vistra to improve its emergency response planning.
Laird represents the entirety of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties, as well as part of San Luis Obispo County.
Laird authored Senate Bill 38, which requires battery energy storage facilities to develop an emergency response and action plan in coordination with local agencies, then submit it to the relevant city or county.
Vistra submitted the Moss Landing emergency plan to Monterey County four months before the law went into effect, Laird said.
“There are questions as to whether the report covered plans for an incident of this magnitude,” Laird said in a Tuesday statement. “It is imperative to determine whether the specific plan that was submitted by Vistra to local authorities was implemented effectively during this incident, and since it was filed prior to the law going into effect — if the report was consistent with the new law.”
Meanwhile, PG&E had not submitted an emergency safety plan for its battery facility also located at Moss Landing, Laird said.
Laird called for the state Legislature to consider setting deadlines for companies to submit the emergency plan.
He also urged Vistra to present its Senate Bill 38 safety plan to the public; complete air, soil, water and particulate matter tests at Moss Landing; and work with Monterey’s North County Fire Protection District to prepare for potential future incidents.
“The impacts of this fire have been profound — from the financial hardships faced by small businesses affected by the highway closure to the stress and disruption caused from evacuation,” he said. “These challenges underscore the importance of not only addressing the immediate aftermath but implementing long-term solutions to prevent similar incidents in the future.”
Laird noted that Moss Landing uses older battery storage technology, which doesn’t have as many safeguards as new storage technology.
“Newer battery storage facilities are built to contain to small areas any potential issue,” Laird said in a statement. “What is important is that we come to very clear understanding how safe these newer facilities are, and is that something the community would be interested in learning more about.”
Morro Bay city staff will present an update on the Moss Landing fire at the next City Council meeting on Jan. 28.
The council will also consider an urgency ordinance that would pause the city’s ability to process new battery plant development permits for up to two years. This wouldn’t prevent the California Coastal Commission and Energy Commission from approving the project.
This story was originally published January 21, 2025 at 12:01 PM.
