Developer Investigating Recent Fire at California Energy Storage Facility

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
September 23, 2023

Terra-Gen, a renewable energy developer, is launching an investigation of a recent fire at a battery storage unit in Valley Center, Calif.

The fire took place on the afternoon of Sept. 18 at a Terra-Gen energy storage facility located in San Diego County, Calif.

The Valley Center Energy Storage Facility is a stand-alone 139-megawatt energy storage project.

The four-hour lithium-ion battery energy storage system is connected to a nearby San Diego Gas & Electric substation and has contracted with the investor-owned utility to provide power under a 15-year Resource Adequacy contract.

In response to the fire, the Valley Center Fire Department, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and other appropriate agencies were dispatched. They addressed the incident and left the premises around 9:15 p.m.

The facility’s design systems kept the incident contained. Terra-Gen personnel remained on scene to ensure no additional issues occurred.

A San Diego County Hazardous Materials team monitored the air and water around the site during the incident and found no hazardous conditions.

Now that the incident is over, Terra-Gen said it will investigate the cause of the fire with the support of the Valley Center Fire Department.

In September 2022, a fire occurred at Pacific Gas & Electric’s Moss Landing battery storage facility in California. The fire was isolated to a single battery pack at the facility, according to the County of Monterey, Calif.

New York Governor Forms Working Group to Examine Energy Storage System Safety

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul this summer announced the creation of a new Inter-Agency Fire Safety Working Group to ensure the safety and security of energy storage systems across the state, following fire incidents at facilities in the state this summer.

State agencies will begin immediate inspections of energy storage sites, and the Working Group will help prevent fires and ensure emergency responders have the necessary training and information to prepare and deploy resources in the event of a fire.

Saying that fires at energy storage facilities are exceedingly rare, Hochul’s office noted that she has directed the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Office of Fire Prevention and Control, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of Public Service and the Department of State to lead the Working Group. The Working Group will examine energy storage facility fires and safety standards.