Source: Lookout Santa Cruz
The recent fire at Vistra Energy’s battery energy storage facility in Moss Landing is a wake-up call. It is more than just an isolated incident and a stark reminder of the risks tied to lithium-ion battery energy storage. It highlights the urgent need to rethink not just how we build lithium-ion battery energy storage, but where we build it – and whether local communities have a say in the process.
Opponents to commonsense guardrails are saying that any kind of regulation is an irrational overreaction. Their arguments, that thoughtful regulation and siting requirements will be catastrophic to California’s energy goals, are an age-old method of leveraging the fear we all have about our changing climate.