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Following the January scare at Moss Landing, another battery storage facility caught fire this past week marking the second such incident of 2025 as Central Coast leaders push for enhanced safety measures when it comes to renewable energy.
On Aug. 30, Monterey County authorities were notified of a solar flare at the 280-megawatt California Flats Energy Storage Project around 11 a.m., a solar and battery storage facility located just southeast of Parkfield, which borders the county line between Monterey and San Luis Obispo, according to a social media from the Monterey County Sheriff's Office.
California Flats Energy Storage Project is owned by Arevon, an Arizona-based energy company that specializes in renewable energy storage like solar and battery, while the project itself sits on Hearst Ranch property and provides energy to companies like Apple, PG&E, and Tesla, the Hearst Ranch website said.
Arevon Senior Director of Communications Blair Matocha told New Times that the Aug. 30 incident was confined to four batteries of the 84 installed at the facility as the project's thermal detection system was triggered and automatically notified emergency authorities.
Once Cal Fire arrived, the fire was quickly contained and extinguished, Matocha said via email. There were no injuries, and no private property was damaged.
"As an added precaution, the battery manufacturer is on-site providing 24/7 monitoring to ensure continued safety. The local fire departments [were] also dispatched to the site to monitor the situation but were not required to take any action," Matocha said.
Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) told New Times she is keeping a close eye on this incident, considering it followed another battery plant fire on Jan. 16 at Moss Landing that evacuated thousands of people and posed multiple health risks.
"Experience shows us that lithium-ion batteries are volatile and can catch on fire. Large-scale battery energy storage systems have their place in addressing the climate crisis but must be sited properly," Addis said via email. "This fire is yet another example of why common-sense siting is critical. I can only imagine the impact last weekend's fire could've had on our neighborhoods, traffic corridor, schools, or highly flammable wildlands had it been sited somewhere else. This could have been catastrophic."
Addis has raised concerns about battery plant placements since Morro Bay grappled with the idea of building a battery facility at its old power plant site. For four years, Texas-owned company Vistra tried to make a 600-megawatt facility happen, but amid resistance from residents, local city leaders, and state policies, it withdrew its application in April.
Moss Landing's January incident also raised concerns among residents when it came to SLO County's recently constructed 100-megawatt Caballero battery storage facility in Nipomo.
Designed differently than Moss Landing, the Caballero facility is much safer, according to 4th District San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Jimmy Paulding. After the recent fire at California Flats Energy Storage Project, Paulding told New Times he remains sure of the county's ability to keep its residents safe.
"I have the utmost confidence in our Cal Fire/County Fire personnel to protect our community in times of emergency," he said via email. "I've been truly impressed by the recent increase in multi-agency safety drills—led by Cal Fire/County Fire and supported by regional partners—which play a critical role in ensuring our first responders are fully prepared for any situation." Δ
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