Author: Admin

May 8: Community Matters KSCO discusses battery energy storage (BESS)

From Becky Steinbruner
Community Matters, KSCO

Listen in today, 2pm-3pm, on KSCO Radio (AM 1080) to “Community Matters”, where the conversation continues regarding the battery energy storage system (BESS) issues.  

What is happening with the 90 Minto Road project in Watsonville that would require massive excavation in areas adjacent to College Lake known to be sensitive archaeological areas amidst farmland and densely-populated working class neighborhoods?

What does it mean now that the developer is abandoning local permitting in favor of California Energy Commission permitting?  

What do we know about actions of other jurisdictions also examining new rules to allow large BESS facilities in their areas?

Tentative Guest will be Planning Dept. staff from the City of Vacaville, where the City Council enacted a new BESS Ordinance allowing only non-flammable battery technology to be used.  

Join the conversation!  Call 831-479-1080

Listen in on the radio or via the App:https://ksco.com/listen/

Please share this information.

Also…NEW on KSCO on Fridays, 6pm-7pm….Bratton Online Contributors go live on the air as a weekly program!  Listen in and join the conversation!
https://brattononline.com/

– May 1, “Community Matters” on KSCO Radio at 2pm: Air Quality Monitoring and the Moss Landing Battery Fire

From Becky Steinbruner
Host, Community Matters

My guest on this Friday’s “Community Matters” program on KSCO Radio (AM 1080) will be Mr. Richard Stedman, Air Pollution Control Officer for the Monterey Bay Air Resources District.  We will discuss the air quality monitoring that happened before, during and after the  Moss Landing Battery Fire that began on  January 16, 2025.  

What is happening now during the site clean-up work to ensure the air around Moss Landing is clean and safe for the public?

What did the Air District learn?  Should future large lithium battery energy storage system (BESS) projects have air monitoring equipment and protocols required?

What are your questions?  At Mr. Stedman’s discretion, we will take calls from the audience in the last half of the program.831-479-1080.

Listen in!  https://ksco.com/listen/

– April 26, Watsonville – Information meeting on SC New Leaf BESS proposal and draft county ordinance; Spanish translation provided

Sunday, April 26
2:30pm
Pinto Lake City Park, Watsonville

Information on the New Leaf lithium ion battery energy storage facility (BESS) proposal on Minto Road, the draft Santa Cruz County ordinance, and ways to take action.

Question: Why haven’t any of the Santa Cruz County Supervisors held a town hall meeting about the critical BESS issue??

https://www.stoplithiumbessinsantacruz.org/
https://www.change.org/p/stop-lithium-bess-at-90-minto-road-watsonville-detengan-la-bess-de-litio-en-90-minto-rd/u/34437424

Article on meeting February 28, 2026
https://pajaronian.com/meeting-highlights-downsides-of-bess-facilities/

– April 24: Update on Moss Landing Vistra fire and Santa Cruz battery storage, 2 PM PDT — KSCO Radio

Today’s “Community Matters” on KSCO Radio (AM 1080) is at 2pm-3pm and will feature continued discussion of the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) issues of the Moss Landing Vistra Fire site and also the impending new rules to allow grid-scale BESS facilities in Santa Cruz County.

Michael Polkabla, the Senior Certified Industrial Hygienist with BioMax Environmental Labs in Pacific Grove, will be calling in as a Guest for interview.

What was included in last Tuesday’s Monterey County Board of Supervisor staff update on the Moss Landing Vistra BESS fire remediation?  What was NOT included?

What is happening in Santa Cruz County regarding the large BESS project in permit process for 90 Minto Road in Watsonville?

Stop Lithium BESS in Santa Cruz County has a public meeting this Sunday, April 26, at 2:20pm at Pinto Lake City Park, ‘Watsonville to provide information and ways to take action.   Why haven’t any of the Santa Cruz County Supervisors held a town hall meeting about the critical BESS issue??

Listen in today on KSCO AM 1080 and JOIN THE CONVERSATION by calling 831-479-1080Listen in on your AM radio  at 1080 or via the live stream app: https://ksco.com/listen/

Take care,

Becky Steinbruner
Program Host

– Film: Earth’s Greatest Enemy — April 18, Marina Library

Saturday, April 18
5:30 – 8 pm
Film
The Earth’s Greatest Enemy

followed by Q&A

Marina Library Community Room
190 Seaside Circle, Marina

Reserve your spot

Trailer at https://earthsgreatestenemy.com/

Directors Abby Martin and Mike Prysne investigate the environmental footprint of the Pentagon, widely considered the world’s largest institutional polluter. The film reveals how military operations contribute significantly to carbon emissions, water contamination, and ecological destruction worldwide, often operating outside the scope of international climate agreements and public scrutiny.

Hosted by Veterans for Peace Chap. 46
https://www.vfp46.org/

– April 17 radio interview: Update on Vistra Moss Landing battery fire with Ed Mitchell, Never Again Moss Landing

From Community Matters Host Becky Steinbruner:

“Community Matters” is returning to the air waves with an inaugural program  Friday, April 17 on KSCO Radio AM 1080 2pm-3pm.  

My honored Guest will be Mr. Ed Mitchell, Lead Investigator for Never Again Moss Landing, discussing the recent news that Vistra is decommissioning the Moss 100 Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facility in Moss Landing.  We will also talk about the latest news in the remediation  work at the Moss 300 BESS Fire  disaster site. https://neveragainmosslanding.org/

What IS going on in Moss Landing at the largest BESS facility in the world?

Call in and join the conversation.  831-479-1080.

Listen in on your AM radio  at 1080 or via the live stream app: https://ksco.com/listen/

– Santa Cruz City Council terminates contract with Flock Safety on ALPR cameras

In January 13, 2026, the city council of Santa Cruz terminated its contract with Flock Safety for its Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras. On April 7, the Monterey City Council received an annual ALPR report from the police department, with members asking many questions in light of revelations about Flock/ALPR security and how the cameras are being used, and several community members raising significant issues and opposition including ACLU rep Michelle Welsh.

https://www.montereycountynow.com/news/cover/is-the-monitoring-of-license-plates-in-monterey-county-and-beyond-a-boon-for-policing/article_65caece9-ea4d-4850-a921-c08f99155540.html
Is the monitoring of license plates in Monterey County and beyond a boon for policing or another step closer to a mass surveillance state? April 2, 2026

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/12/effs-investigations-expose-flock-safetys-surveillance-abuses-2025-review
EFF’s Investigations Expose Flock Safety’s Surveillance Abuses: 2025 in Review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU1-uiUlHTo
This Flock Camera Leak is like Netflix For Stalkers

https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/flock-massachusetts-and-updates
Flock Can Share Driver-Surveillance Data Even When Police Departments Opt Out, And Other Flock Developments

https://www.gettheflockout.org/
The campaign to get Flock cameras out of Santa Cruz County

Have a problem with your utility company? Contact CPUC Consumer Affairs Branch

The California Public Utilities Commission’s Consumer Affairs Branch (CAB) can help resolve many complaints with investor-owned utilities (IOUs) — AT&T, PG&E, California American Water Company, Frontier, etc. — including bill issues, service outages, and telephone line quality. They can expedite your complaint to a higher level of the company’s customer service, and this attention, plus the CPUC’s awareness of the problem, can quickly resolve issues.

CPUC Consumer Affairs Branch
800-649-7570

(NOTE: the CPUC does not have jurisdiction over municipal utilities such as Marina Coast Water)

California Coastal Commission – April 15-17 in Gonzales

The California Coastal Commission will meet April 15-17, 2026, in Gonzales, Monterey County. The meetings begin at 9 am.

Dennis and Janice Caprara Community Center
620 5th Street
Gonzales CA 93926

Agenda: https://coastal.ca.gov/meetings/agenda/#/2026/4
Click on the tabs for the agenda for each day.

Public comment
Public comment is in-person as well as remote, and registration instructions are on the agenda. Commenters may provide powerpoint presentations and must submit by 5 pm the day before the meeting. Public comment on items not on the agenda is taken at the beginning of each day. Public comment on agenda items is heard when those items are taken up.

Directors’ reports
In addition to items listed on the agenda, the Deputy Directors’ reports and Energy, Ocean Resouces and Federal Consistency also contain land use projects and determinations that the Commission will be acting on. This can amount to 40+ projects. This is in violation of the California Brown Act which requires that all items being considered must be listed on the face of the agenda and clearly described for the public.

These reports are generally posted 1-2 weeks before the meetings and may contain important projects. The Energy, Ocean Resouces and Federal Consistency report has had very significant projects inside, including the SpaceX expansion at Vandenberg Air Force Base. The director’s report item for each district be highlighted when it is posted.

Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Luis Obispo Counties are the Central Coast District. The Commissioner representing the District is Chris Lopez, a Board member of the Monterey County Board of Supervisors.

Energy, Ocean Resources and Federal Consistency covers the entire state and is often related to utility company or federal government projects, or where there is overlapping jurisdiction.