Morro Bay City Council votes to ban battery storage facilities
February 26, 2025
By KAREN VELIE
The Morro Bay City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to extend an urgency ordinance banning battery storage facilities in the city.
Vistra, a Texas-based energy company, has plans to construct and operate a 600 megawatt battery storage facility on approximately 24 acres of a roughly 70-acre site. However, residents, concerned the facility will endanger the public while negatively impacting tourism and the fishing industry, have battled against the proposed project for several years.
On Jan. 28, the City Council voted for an urgency ordinance to temporarily halt a potential battery energy storage project. The urgency ordinance was set to expire on March 14.
In an attempt to protect the community while working on a permanent solution, the City Council voted Tuesday to extend the urgency ordinance through Jan. 28, 2027.
The extension will provide time for city staff to research and develop permanent regulations to address the impacts of battery storage facilities. In two to three months, city staff is slated to bring ideas regarding a permanent ordinance to the City Council.
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