ESCONDIDO — Citing safety concerns, city leaders have imposed a temporary ban on new battery energy storage system facilities, commonly known as BESS, as they move to update zoning regulations.
On Oct. 9, the City Council unanimously approved an interim ordinance prohibiting any new commercial BESS sites within city limits. The moratorium, initially set for 45 days, could be extended up to 10 months and 15 days as officials draft new regulations.
“This is not a prohibition, it’s just a pause until we get everything written that is going to satisfy our concerns,” said Deputy Mayor Christian Garcia, who also sits on the Clean Energy Alliance board. “No one here is against clean energy or this type of work.”
Historically, BESS projects have been permitted in general industrial zones, which accommodate heavy industries such as oil refineries, power plants, and transmission facilities. Currently, the city has no specific zoning laws addressing BESS facilities, but according to staff, roughly 27 are already operating within Escondido.
Concerns about BESS facilities largely focus on public safety and economic development. Managed remotely with minimal onsite staff, these facilities create static land use, posing potential risks like fires, explosions, and “thermal runaway” events that are challenging to control.
The urgency behind the moratorium followed a recent fire at a San Diego Gas & Electric BESS facility on Enterprise Street in Escondido, which prompted evacuations of nearby businesses and schools. The fire burned out within 12 hours, but the event heightened concerns, especially in light of a separate BESS facility fire in Otay Mesa earlier this year that lasted 17 days.
A week prior to the Escondido BESS fire, the City Council passed a resolution opposing large-scale BESS projects near Escondido. Officials have also called for workforce standards, emergency response plans and clarification of exemptions for battery storage on commercial buildings.
Representatives from the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and local electricians’ union criticized the moratorium, arguing it could deter future projects and harm the city’s long-term economic viability.
Cori Schumacher, political director at IBEW Local 569, warned that a moratorium could chill future projects and hurt the city’s long-run economic viability. Schumacher, a former member of the Carlsbad City Council, noted that outdated facilities built prior to 2018 do not consider more recently updated fire and safety standards.
Schumacher also noted that general electricians did not install or maintain the Otay Mesa facility and were removed from maintaining the Escondido facility before last month’s fire.
The City Council is scheduled to receive an update in November, just before the initial 45-day ban expires. Depending on the findings, the council will decide whether to extend the moratorium.
“There are too many questions, too many concerns,” said Councilmember Mike Morasco. “If there’s a way where this pause can shed more light and accelerate the interest of all parties to come to the table and figure out how to get this resolved… I hope this can be a catalyst throughout the county.”
The ban could impact two pending BESS projects, including one slated to replace the former Ice-Plex building with a 50-megawatt lithium-ion battery storage facility. The other proposal involves 31 lithium-ion storage containers at a separate site on Don Lee Place.
