News

Following a fire at a battery storage power plant in Moss Landing, Assemblymember Dawn Addis has introduced legislation that she says will help prevent a similar incident in the future.

According to Addis, Assembly Bill 303 would remove battery energy story facilities from the California Energy Commission's opt-in certification program, returning authority for approval back into the hands of local communities. The bill would limit where battery energy storage facilities can be located so they are not built in environmentally sensitive areas, including high fire and flood risk zones. AB 303 would also require a 3,200-foot setback from sensitive places like homes, schools and medical facilities.

Assemblymember Dawn Addis, D-Morro Bay, and Monterey County District 2 Supervisor Glenn Church held a press conference in Moss Landing today, Jan. 23 with a twofold purpose: for Addis to talk about a bill she introduced Jan. 22, and for Church to give an update from the county's perspective.

Addis spoke first in front of the small gaggle of reporters and residents in attendance, and started by saying she'd just returned from a special legislative session in Sacramento to approve $2.5 billion of aid to go toward responding to the aftermath of the devastating fires in L.A. County earlier this month.

On Wednesday, Jan. 23, Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) urged the California Public Utilities Commission to conduct an independent investigation on the fire at the Vistra Battery Energy Storage System at the Moss Landing Power Plant in Monterey County.

Addis sent the following letter to Alice Busching Reynolds, the President of the California Public Utilities Commission:

MOSS LANDING, Calif. — Assemblymember Dawn Addis of District 30, representing Monterey County, calls for accountability and transparency following the Moss Landing fire.

"You know, look, Vistra and all of their vendors have, massive data sets that they are analyzing right now on that. They're going to be analyzing. We need full transparency on that data," Addis said.

Image

This week, Central Coast Voices explores immigration policy changes and the local resources available from California. Assemblymember Dawn Addis joins us to discuss how evolving policies impact housing, employment, and health resources for immigrant families. We will share about statewide initiatives to support immigrant communities despite expected federal policy changes to ensure access to services while addressing the local challenges.

Khouloud Pearson was honored for providing legal assistance to vulnerable residents across San Luis Obispo County, Assemblymember Dawn Addis announced in an Oct. 21 news release.

"Khouloud embodies the spirit of service we need," Addis said in the release. "From using her skills to provide legal aid for low-income residents to supporting her entire community through volunteer service, she is a true leader for San Luis Obispo County."

In the latest setback for the oil industry in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday signed a new law that allows cities, counties, and local voters to block construction of new oil and gas wells in their communities.

The bill, AB 3233, by Assemblywoman Dawn Addis, D-Monterey, which the industry staunchly opposed, overturns a state Supreme Court ruling from last fall.

A proposal to give local governments in California more authority over oil extraction will go to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk despite heavy lobbying from the oil industry and concerns the state is moving too fast in its transition from gas-powered to electric cars.

Assemblymember Dawn Addis' CA AB 3233 (23R) was crafted in response to a California Supreme Court ruling a year ago that struck down a voter-approved ban in Monterey County on new oil and gas wells. The court ruled the state's authority over extraction methods superseded the local ban.

Assemblymember Dawn Addis, D-Morro Bay, represents part of Monterey County. This legislative session, she introduced Assembly Bill 3233, which would affirm the right of communities to make decisions about oil and gas operations that pose grave threats to public health, wildlife and the climate. AB 3233 passed in the California Assembly on May 22, by a vote of 43-14.

In spite of heavy opposition by the oil industry, communities across the state urged their Assemblymembers to approve the bill.

SACRAMENTO — This week, Assemblywoman Dawn Addis, (D-Morro Bay) introduced AB 1861 to extend a vital program within the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) that protects California’s picturesque vineyards and our iconic wine industry from deadly disease. This legislation is sponsored by the California Association of Winegrape Growers and Wine Institute.