ESCONDIDO (KGTV) — Escondido has lifted a moratorium on new commercial battery storage facilities, but some residents and safety advocates say the new rules don't go far enough to protect communities.
The city passed new guidelines after several fires at battery storage sites across the county, including a fire two years ago at an SDG&E facility in Escondido that forced hundreds to evacuate.
J-P Theberge, the director of California for Safe Energy Storage, lives in unincorporated Escondido and said he is concerned about people who may live near future battery storage facilities.
"If you have one of these in your neighborhood, you should be prepared to evacuate every 3 to 6 years. That's a lot. That's a lot to ask of communities that already have to evacuate due to wildfires and other risks that they have no control over," Theberge said.
Under current guidelines, Escondido follows the same standards as the county. Those guidelines require projects to be at least 100 feet from the property line to ensure firefighting effectiveness, explosion protection at facilities, and minimum workplace safety standards covering installation, assembly, testing, commissioning, maintenance and repair.
The city has not capped how many facilities can be built, saying it is waiting for the county to establish a number it can support.
Theberge said the rules fall short of what is needed.
"If I were Escondido, I would limit them to industrial zoned areas and create a buffer, create a buffer between battery storage and housing," Theberge said.
In a statement, the city of Escondido said it took initiative to listen to the concerns of neighbors after the 2024 fire and those who lived near the Seguro battery storage proposed site.
"The health and safety of our residents is paramount," the city said.
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