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Assemblywoman Addis opposed to Morro Bay battery storage facility

January 21, 2025

Assemblywoman Dawn Addis

By KAREN VELIE

Following the huge fire that ignited at the Vistra battery storage facility in Moss Landing, more than a hundred Central Coast residents called and sent emails to Assemblywoman Dawn Addis’ office voicing their concerns regarding plans for a larger battery storage facility in Morro Bay.

On Jan. 16, the fire broke out at the 300-megawatt battery storage facility in Moss Landing. Because of the presence of lithium-ion batteries, firefighters did not engaging the blaze while roads were closed and people were evacuated.

Vistra plans to construct and operate a 600-megawatt battery storage facility in Morro Bay, twice the sie of the Moss landing facility. Even before the Moss landing fire, mutiple residents had voiced concerns the facility would endanger the public while negatively impacting tourism and the fishing industry.

On Sunday, Addis, who previously supported the proposed battery storage facility, posted a statement on Facebook asking Vistra to cancel its plan to construct the Morro Bay facility.

“While we urgently need climate solutions, they must be safe for our communities and environment,” Addis said on Facebook.

“With that in mind, I am calling on Vistra to end its plans for a battery energy storage facility in Morro Bay and urging the California Energy Commission and The California Coastal Commission to reject their permitting application under AB 205.

“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.”

Dawn Addis was elected to the California State Assembly in 2022 to represent the coastal 30th Assembly District, which includes large portions of San Luis Obispo and Monterey Counties and the south-eastern area of Santa Cruz County.

 


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The panic that’s been pushing these climate change policies is irresponsible. When people object to these untested projects, there’s shaming and insulting remarks about not caring about the environment. Instead of criticizing those who don’t agree with these panicked policies and projects, it’s wise to listen and weigh all information, pro and con, and not be blinded by an ideology without fully investigating and weighing its possible negative consequences. Tunnel vision on anything is dangerous. Waiting until something bad happens to realize a mistake, can cost lives and cause more damage than good.


6

Considering there are over 300 offshore wind farms currently operating across the globe, I’m not sure such a project can be labeled “untested” nor is it driven by “panic.” It is a logical extension of America’s attempt to increase its output of renewable energy with a new technology.


Unfortunately, we will fall farther behind China on this technology just as we did with solar panels which are widely produced in China and then sold to us. The next four years will mark another setback in our attempts to mitigate the worst effects of climate change which is now beginning to cost us billions in assistance to areas where natural disasters have been exacerbated by global warming.


-8

It’s untested because the wind farms proposed off our coast are to be floating in waters 3000 to 4000 feet deep. The technology for this has not yet been developed at this size and scale in waters of this depth. Basically, no where in the world has it been already done. That is why it is correct to say untested.


4

The more we try and fit the square peg of solar and wind energy and using batteries into a round hole the more real solutions we are missing… slow down… find the right solution… and stop force fitting… we are not going to die from climate change…


8

The right decision given the circumstances. Than you for your courage and leadership on this issue Assemblywoman. Now let’s make sure the decision makers at the CEC and CCC heed your advice.


17

Kudos to Addis for recognizing her bed decision making and being willing to change course after hearing from the people she represents. However it shouldn’t have required the moss landing fire and evacuations to recognize the stupidity of trying to have a battery plant in morro bay. A little bit of common sense goes a long way instead of waiting for an uncontrollable disaster to occur before deciding how bad of an idea it was to support it.


26

Better data, better opinion.


16

Good when people can change their mind. It is ok. ….. for whatever the reason. Free speech lets us know when we are wrong. The batteries, the wind turbines were, are wrong. We need energy, cheap energy, abundant energy, reliable energy, safe energy within reason, environmental responsible energy within reason. Wind turbines and their back up battery storage is none of these .


21

Dawn Addis is pretty thrilled about the offshore wind project, however, and chairs a committee devoted to it. Let’s see if the new administration can postpone it (forever).


18

The battery project and the wind project are interlinked. The battery project would lend a better appearance of practicality to the wind end.

Neither project- alone or together- pass muster for environmental , engineering, or fiscal aspects.

Many people have honest , noble motivation with these ideas , but miss out by not drilling into the facts and can get hijacked by folks with financial gain in mind. Let the magical thinking go!


3