SAN MARCOS — Residents who oppose a proposed large battery storage project in the Eden Valley community near Escondido are spreading the word about the potential impact on the region if a facility loaded with lithium-ion batteries experiences a catastrophic failure.
Protesters brought signs reading “Stop Seguro” and voiced their concerns before the project’s third and final workshop, which was held on May 7 at the San Marcos Civic Center.
AES Corporation, a global energy company focused on developing green energy solutions, has proposed a battery energy storage system (BESS) facility known as the Seguro Energy Storage project at 925 Country Club Drive, a 22-acre former horse reining arena.
The proposed 320-megawatt project would store enough energy from renewable sources like solar and wind to power 240,000 homes for four hours. The battery storage facility would connect to the local power grid via a new substation on-site, which would then connect to the nearby 30,000-kilowatt SDG&E Escondido Substation through an underground transmission line.
“We’re 100% committed to going underground,” said lead project developer Max Guarniere during the workshop.
Residents of Eden Valley and the neighboring communities of Harmony Grove and Elfin Forest are widely opposed to the project due to its proximity to hundreds of residential homes. Some fear that the lithium-ion batteries could start a fire and cause disruptive noise, air pollution and other environmental problems.
The closest home would be 130 feet from the facility.
Since the first meeting, nearly 2,700 people have signed a petition to stop the project. A website called stopseguro.org was also started to help spread awareness about the project.
Residents like JP Theberge, chair of the Harmony Grove/Elfin Forest Town Council, have cited past incidents in which other storage facilities in the nation — including some owned by AES — have experienced thermal runaway events that caused massive battery fires.
“This is new technology — this technology is shifting constantly, and they’re constantly trying to come up with ways to address this fire risk,” Theberge told the protesters. “The industry itself makes a big deal out of this — risk is part of it. Failure is part of this model.”
Harmony Grove Village resident Kendra Correia said the project would turn the neighborhood into a “sacrifice zone,” a term used to describe areas where residents are subjected to heightened levels of pollution and hazardous materials despite the adverse impacts on their health. The term has appeared on several signs posted throughout the Eden Valley and surrounding communities opposing the project.
“This is a recipe for disaster,” Correia said. “We will end up being the poster child for what not to do with battery storage facilities.”
According to Guarniere, the site was chosen because of its proximity to electricity demand, the availability of an existing electricity grid infrastructure and access, and the availability of flat land that would suit the project.
“This particular site was selected because this is an area that needs more power supply,” he said, noting the occasional massive blackouts that plague the region as well as its proximity to industrial areas in nearby Escondido and San Marcos.
The county must first approve the project, which is still in the design phase.
According to the California Environmental Quality Act, AES has applied for a major-use permit and is creating its environmental impact report. AES officials have indicated they hope to complete the EIR in the next few months for public review.
Guarniere said construction would likely start next year, and the battery system would be operational by late 2026.
Theberge said the project belongs in an industrial zone like the 50-megawatt lithium-ion battery storage facility that will replace the former Ice-Plex building in Escondido.
“It’s dangerous, toxic, and industrial,” Correia added. “It’s all the things and exactly where they don’t belong.”
