With at least three fires at BESS facilities over the past year-and-a-half, some are fearful of toxic gases and smoke that can emanate for days.
LA MESA, Calif. — Tensions are rising in La Mesa as a proposed Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facility sparks concern among some who live nearby. Those who oppose the project say they're worried about the dangers of large-scale lithium-ion battery fires in their neighborhood.
Neighbors gathered for an informal town hall discussion Wednesday evening at Brew Coffee Spot on Lake Murray Blvd, where they asked questions of their city leaders and representatives from Heartland Fire & Rescue.
If approved, the proposed 18-megawatt battery plant would be built on a vacant lot at 8135 El Paso Street, sandwiched between a shopping center and residential homes.
“My feeling is why would the City of La Mesa want to inflict any kind of physical or fiscal damage on any of its residents?” said La Mesa City Councilmember, Laura Lothian.
The plant would store supplemental energy from renewables like solar and wind, and supply it to the power grid during peak hours, 4-9 p.m., through SDG&E’s Murray substation across the street. But the site's proximity to homes and shopping in the area has some people pushing back.
“I don’t know if this battery storage facility is different than other ones, but I also know there’s plenty of places in San Diego County where you could put a battery storage facility that even if something bad happened, it’s not going to wreck little schools and little coffee shops and houses," said Councilmember Lothian.
With at least three different fires at battery storage facilities over the past year-and-a-half in Valley Center, Otay Mesa, and Escondido, some people are fearful of the toxic gases and smoke that can emanate from such fires for days.
“It is an emerging technology so it’s always a challenge to stay on top of what the current trends are,” said Kenneth King, Fire Marshall for Heartland Fire & Rescue in La Mesa.
King told CBS 8 they're currently reviewing the project's application to determine whether it is up to fire code standards. He said they've requested a hazard mitigation plan from the developer that they've not yet received.
"Part of the technical report that’s required is an analysis of if a fire should occur, what the impacts are, what the resulting fire would look like, how the resulting potentially toxic gases would impact the community, and how the impacts spread to neighboring areas and adjacent properties,” King explained.
CBS 8 reached out to the developer, EnerSmart Storage, and we have not heard back from the company as of the time of this publication.
From the description on the company's website, there would be 21 containers on site with a six-foot wall along El Paso Street, and another wall along the western property line that would act as a sound barrier where the site backs up to homes.
According to the company's website, BESS facilities are a vital component to helping the State of California meet its goals of 90% clean energy by 2035, and 100% clean energy by 2045.
"This reduces the likelihood of brownouts or blackouts for the La Mesa residents and businesses served by electricity that passes through the SDG&E Murray substation across the street," it says on the company's website.
Councilmember Lothian says the project is pitting climate action goals against public safety. She told CBS 8 that some people, who live nearby the proposed site, feel their voices are not being heard.
“You should have a voice, that’s what I love about local politics. If enough people from this neighborhood or from anywhere say, ‘Hey, not in my neighborhood,’ I can see it changing minds,” said Councilmember Lothian. "What I like to say is local government works best when locals engage.”
The proposed battery facility will eventually need approval from the La Mesa City Council before it can move forward.