But county fire chief says projects in fire-prone areas need to have setbacks on property lines
Flames and black smoke from a battery storage container at a San Diego Gas & Electric facility in Escondido on Sept. 5. The San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday passed on the opportunity to establish interim safety requirements for battery energy storage projects, noting that county fire officials already have the authority to implement beefed-up guidelines.
Mecham said since at least five proposed battery storage projects in the county’s jurisdiction are located in fire-prone areas, they will be subject to existing regulations requiring they have setbacks at least 100 feet from property lines to make sure crews have enough room to maneuver in case of fire.
Ten battery storage projects are under consideration in unincorporated areas of San Diego County in places such as Ramona, Valley Center, Bonita and East Otay Mesa.. The remaining five are under the jurisdiction of other fire districts in the county, who are free to set their own safety guidelines — although Mecham has expressed hope that discussions can
But a spate of fires at battery storage facilities have broken out in the San Diego area in little more than a year. that led to the temporary evacuation of about 500 nearby businesses. Crews from the city of Escondido found no abnormal readings indicating toxic fumes and air-quality monitoring did not indicate any health risks., operated by LS Power and its subsidiary, Rev Renewables.
Developers of battery projects and their supporters urged postponing a decision. The California Energy Storage Alliance, in a letter to the board, said several of the interim guidelines “are unworkable for the industry and pose a standard that is unachievable.”said the interim rules “seem like overregulation, which I’m not supportive of,” and proposed holding off discussion for 90 days.
Joe Rowley, a retired engineer and Escondido resident who is opposed to the Seguro project, said Tuesday’s meeting amounted to “an initial step in the right direction, but there’s work to be done.”
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