October 29, 2024
The Chamber has been actively engaged in conversations regarding Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) across the San Diego region. BESS projects throughout California are necessary in preventing blackouts, brownouts, and public safety power shutoffs when energy is in high demand. These projects also create local green jobs in a multitude of sectors and have other positive economic opportunities, including new tax revenue to their respective jurisdictions. Any potential moratorium on BESS projects would have a dramatic impact on the economy, stymying our regional supply chain involved in BESS, solar, and photovoltaic (PV) industries. Additionally, while concerns of safety have entered the public dialogue around this topic, BESS developed in 2024 are designed with robust safety protocols including fire propagation control, thermal management systems, automatic shutoff technology, physical barriers, and 24/7 real-time monitoring.
In the last few months, the County of San Diego, the City of Escondido, and the City of San Marcos have considered enacting moratoriums halting the creation of new BESS within their jurisdictions. The Chamber has led a group of stakeholders, with members representing clean energy, BESS developers, and workers, to combat any misinformation regarding the reliability, necessity, and safety of BESS projects. We have successfully defeated a moratorium at the County of San Diego, where the Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 against any potential moratorium, while supporting safety standards for new BESS. Since that vote, the City of Escondido and the City of San Marcos have considered moratoriums. Despite our efforts, Escondido unanimously passed an urgency 45-day ordinance moratorium. We will continue to engage with the City and will actively oppose the ordinance when it comes back for review in late November. The Chamber and the stakeholder group will also continue to engage with the City of San Marcos as they consider a potential moratorium and will keep members updated as this ordinance progresses.