Morro Bay’s A-24 is a land use question—hard to understand, difficult to explain.
Bottom line: Yes on A-24 will give citizens of Morro Bay the right to vote on the battery storage plant proposed at the power plant site.
Those against A-24 will tell you it has nothing to do with the battery facility. Not true. It paves the way for a quick path to approval.
Yes on A-24 gives another layer of participation by giving Morro Bay residents the right to vote on the project. It protects against a three-person majority vote from the City Council alone to decide this important issue.
Opponents say the measure will take local control away. Not true. What’s more local than the people who live there? Plus, the City Council will still play an important role. Opponents say Sacramento will decide. This is misleading and manipulative. Sacramento—really the California Coastal Commission—will be involved in any project, no matter what.
Opponents say Morro Bay residents will be responsible to clean up the site. Not true. Cleanup is the responsibility of the property owner, Vistra.
Why is Yes on A-24 so important? Just Google “fires at lithium battery storage facilities.” Check out the fires in Escondido, Chula Vista, and the fire at Moss Landing, including the shutdown of Highway 1 and the shelter-in-place orders due to toxic fumes. See how property sales are down.
Think of it—a highly toxic, lithium battery storage plant, known to be at risk of spontaneously combusting, in the middle of Morro Bay. Next to homes … the high school … kids’ sports fields. Shouldn’t residents have the right to decide? Vote Yes on A-24.
D. Nelson
Morro Bay
This article appears in Oct 31 – Nov 10, 2024.