On January 16, 2025, a fire broke out at the Vistra battery energy storage facility in Moss Landing. It was the largest Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) fire in history. The scale of the incident exposed a reality that industry assurances and state safety frameworks had failed to anticipate. Existing safety protocols were not adequate.

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The fire threatened nearby residents, local businesses and sensitive environmental areas. It also revealed a troubling gap in state support. Despite the magnitude of the incident, state resources for environmental testing, toxicology, and technical assistance were limited, leaving the County to shoulder responsibilities they typically rely on the state to provide in large-scale industrial emergencies.

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Many questions remain unanswered and some may remain unresolved for years. What toxins were released? How far did they travel? What are the long-term health and environmental impacts? These are not academic concerns. They affect real people living and working in the shadow of these facilities.

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Complicating matters is the State law AB 205, passed in 2022 to accelerate renewable energy development. Utilities have long been overseen by the State, but AB 205 takes this to a new level for BESS facilities. While well-intentioned, AB 205 allows certain energy projects, including BESS facilities, to bypass local governments if local regulations are deemed too burdensome. In practice, it limits the ability of communities to set safety standards tailored to their own particular geography, population, and environmental conditions.

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After the Moss Landing fire, I began meeting with local officials across California to help develop practical, enforceable local regulations for future BESS projects in Monterey County. The reality is clear. Battery energy storage facilities are here to stay. The State is prepared to back BESS facilities nearly anywhere they are proposed. They are a core component of California’s plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2045, and additional BESS facilities will likely be proposed in Monterey County.

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That makes it imperative, not optional, that we get safety right.

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The August 22, 2025, fire in Parkfield at a Tesla battery site reinforced what experts have long warned. Lithium-ion batteries are inherently unstable, particularly at industrial scale. Until safer technologies replace lithium, every new facility carries risk. The faster we can transition to alternative battery chemistries, the safer our communities and environment will be.

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In response to these fires, I proposed a fast-tracked process for Monterey County to adopt a comprehensive BESS ordinance within one year, and the County is moving in that direction. But we must be realistic. If local regulations are pushed too far, AB 205 remains a looming threat, allowing energy companies to bypass local oversight entirely.

My goal is not to block progress. It is to keep decisions local, grounded in community safety, environmental protection, and transparency. Sacramento should not be making one-size-fits-all decisions for communities that bear the consequences.

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I remain committed to ensuring that future energy development in Monterey County is safe, accountable, and shaped by the people who live here, not dictated from afar.