Knut Johnson, Partner at Singleton Schreiber, was recently featured in the Daily Journal. California’s transition to renewable energy has led to a rapid expansion of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), which support solar and wind power but raise serious public safety concerns. Despite their environmental benefits, lithium-ion battery facilities pose significant fire and contamination risks, as demonstrated by the 2025 Moss Landing disaster. Current safety protocols and regulatory oversight are insufficient to address these dangers. While legislation like Assembly Bill 303 introduces safety standards, further action is needed to ensure facilities are properly sited and rigorously monitored. To avoid trading one environmental crisis for another, California must prioritize public safety alongside its climate goals.
California's push for renewable energy, including large-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), is commendable; however, it poses serious public safety concerns due to insufficient oversight and inadequate safety protocols. Recent projects, such as San Diego Community Power’s Pelican’s Jaw and Purple Sage Energy Center, which together supply nearly 20% of the group’s 2035 goals, highlight the rapid growth of lithium-ion storage, which carries significant fire and environmental risks.
The January 2025 fire at the Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility illustrates the dangers of BESS failures, with repeated warning signs ignored before a significant incident that led to evacuations and toxic contamination. Lithium-ion fires are notoriously difficult to control, and current protocols are inadequate.
While Assembly Bill 303 proposes minimum safety standards, merely meeting these requirements is not enough. BESS facilities should be located far from populated areas and held to the highest safety benchmarks. Developers must not exploit regulatory gaps, such as placing plants in areas with lax oversight, like the California-Nevada border.
A safe and sustainable renewable future demands stronger regulation, enforcement, and community protections to prevent repeating past disasters, such as those at Moss Landing. Public trust depends on a genuine commitment to safety alongside progress on climate change.
