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Battery Storage on the Ballot in California’s Central Coast – Inside Climate News

“Controversy in Morro Bay: The Battle Over a Proposed Battery Storage Project”

The proposed 600-megawatt battery storage project at 1290 Embarcadero in Morro Bay, Calif. has sparked controversy among locals, with some opposing the project due to concerns about its impact on tourism and potential fire risks. Vistra Corp., the company behind the project, sees the site as an ideal location for a battery storage facility, given its history as a power plant and existing transmission infrastructure.

California has been making significant strides in battery storage capacity, recently surpassing 10,000 megawatts of capacity, a 1,250 percent increase since 2019. The state’s reliance on solar power during the day necessitates energy storage solutions to meet demand when solar generation is not available.

However, the proposed project in Morro Bay has faced opposition from residents who believe the facility should be located inland or in the desert, away from the coastal tourist area. The debate highlights the tension between the state’s push for rapid deployment of energy storage and local concerns about land use and safety.

Vistra has emphasized that the project would benefit both the state’s energy needs and the local community, providing a solution to store renewable energy and support the grid. The company has conducted a community safety report that found no significant risk to the community in the event of a fire at the facility.

Despite the opposition, Vistra remains committed to the project and is currently navigating the city’s approval process. A ballot measure put forth by a local opposition group could impact the project’s future, but new legislation allowing large battery storage facilities to opt into the approval process from the California Energy Commission provides a potential alternative pathway for Vistra.

The outcome of the project remains uncertain as stakeholders continue to debate the merits and risks of the proposed battery storage facility in Morro Bay.

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