San Diego County Board of Supervisors Rejects BESS Moratorium

Earlier today, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously rejected a proposed moratorium on battery energy storage systems (BESS), which had been suggested as an option by county staff. This decision marks a significant victory for the energy storage industry, especially in the wake of recent incidents in San Diego County and growing support for a moratorium. The outcome demonstrates that early efforts to educate staff and decision-makers can effectively counter public opposition driven by fear and misinformation.

Instead of approving the moratorium, the Board implemented minor additions to the current permitting process. Specifically, projects seeking permits must:

• Continue submitting technical studies prepared by a fire protection engineer detailing the proposed fire safety features of the design, operation, and use of the BESS;
• Include these studies in project applicant packages for all discretionary BESS facilities;
• Ensure that the studies account for setback requirements from residential properties; and
• Accept and incorporate the recommendations provided in these technical studies for all facilities.

Additionally, the Board directed county staff to have the County Fire Chief "analyze appropriate residential buffer distances based on plume modeling..." and report back within 45 days, with a plan to be presented at the December 11 meeting.

We will continue engaging with County staff and the San Diego County Fire Department to ensure that reasonable recommendations, grounded in the best available information, are presented to the Board.

Click here to access documents related to today’s Board meeting (see agenda item 5).