Tag: BESS

– July 23, EPA answers questions on Vistra Moss Landing battery fire cleanup – Castroville Farmers Market

The US Environmental Protection Agency will have a booth at the North County Farmers’ Market July 23 on the Vistra battery storage fire and cleanup. They will have English and Spanish speakers .

Thursday, July 23
2-7 pm
North County Recreation Center
11261 Crane St.
Castroville
Free

https://www.epa.gov/ca/moss-landing-vistra-battery-fire

For community and independent information and investigations:
https://neveragainmosslanding.org

Watch the presentation by Dr. Kerstin Wasson on what Moss Landing Marine Laboratory, San Jose State University found
Monterey County Board of Supervisors hearing – beginning at 2:15:25
3:06:43 Dr. Kerstin Wasson, Ph.D EMBER ( Estuary Monitoring of Battery Emissions and Residues resulting from the Moss Landing battery fire)
4:20:12 Dr. Wasson answered questions
EMBER Powerpoint presentation 

– June 26: Two Moss Landing and Watsonville battery storage discussions on KSCO AM 1080

Friday 2-3 PM: KSCO Radio’s “Community Matters” guest Ms. Phoenix Artemesia, organizer of the public meeting this Sunday (2:30pm) in Pinto Lake City Park to inform people about the large Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project proposed for 90 Minto Road in Watsonville.  Join the conversation tomorrow as Phoenix discusses the event and BESS issues. 
Phoenix and others have worked hard to arrange for many informed speakers, including the Executive Director of the California Energy Commission (CEC), Mr. Drew Bohan, to attend this public meeting, organized by a grassroots group to inform people about the status of the Project.    The Project developers, New Leaf Energy / Sequoia Energy LLC  applied in May for Opt-In Certification with the CEC.  
Although the County will not be making the decision about whether to permit the Project or not, local opinion will carry great weight with the CEC staff in their deliberation.  

Attend  Sunday’s June 28  free event at Pinto Lake City Park at 2:30pm in the large gazebo near the Green Valley Road entrance.  Spanish translation will be available. 

Friday 6 PM: “Bratton on KSCO” Radio program will feature Guests Dr. Don Smith, UCSC Environmental Toxicologist, and Mr. Brian Roeder, representing “Never Again Moss Landing”

On January 16, 2025, the large Vistra Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facility at Moss Landing had a thermal runaway problem that led to a massive fire lasting for days, erupting again in February. 
 What was in that smoke plume that traveled around the area?  Did the air that people breathed in the plume area include heavy metal contaminants?
Dr. Don Smith conducted a hair analysis study with more than 60 volunteers living in the Moss Landing area. He and Mr. Roeder discuss the investigation results.

AM 1080 on your radio or streaming live here:  http://www.ksco.com/

In related action, during their June 30 meeting, the County Board of Supervisors will again review the County’s Draft BESS Ordinance that outlines permitting requirements for large BESS projects like that proposed for 90 Minto Road, and includes a site near Aptos High School.

– PG&E to start major kV increase to electric grid corridors – south Santa Cruz County

Update 7/2/26:
Last week, one Santa Cruz County Supervisor’s office repeatedly reached out to PG&E for information on the project, but to date, PG&E has not responded to this county official.

– – – – – – – – – – – –

In a PG&E press release dated May 29, 2026, the company announced a “major power system upgrade” to south Santa Cruz County. PG&E will increase electrical capacity from 4 kV to 21 kV, and install higher capacity electrical cables above and below ground, transformers, and other equipment.

But in a notice to customers June 10, 2026 (p. 1, p. 2), PG&E gave no information on the planned changes, saying only that the company was replacing utility poles.

These upgrades appear to be linked to new battery energy storage (BESS) facilities planned near Watsonville on farmland and near a bird refuge, and another one next to Aptos High School, despite public objections.

All of this will come at an environmental price. And those who live near this equipment will be exposed to higher levels of EMF, which can cause health problems including leukemia.

The hazards of BESS and lack of public protections have been in sharp focus since the fires at the Moss Landing BESS in January and February 2024.

For information on health effects:
The Health Effects of EMF, ELF and Magnetic Fields from Power Lines and Electricity

– 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

– 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/