A significant fire at California’s Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility, the world’s largest battery storage plant, resulted in the destruction of 300 megawatts of energy capacity, forced the evacuation of 1,200 residents, and raised concerns about potential health risks from smoke plumes. This incident erased approximately 2 percent of California’s energy storage capacity, critical for the state’s transition toward increased renewable energy and reduced fossil fuel dependence.
The blaze erupted on the afternoon of January 16, engulfing a concrete structure housing lithium batteries at the facility located in Monterey County. Fortunately, other facilities on the site, including additional battery storage units and a natural gas plant, remained unaffected. By the morning of January 17, local officials reported minimal flames and reduced smoke emissions.
Glenn Church, a member of Monterey County’s board of supervisors, emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “This is really a lot more than a fire; it’s a wake-up call for this industry. If we’re going to be moving forward with sustainable energy, we need a safe battery system in place.” However, after the press conference, the fire revived, prompting an extension of evacuation orders.
Firefighters allowed the lithium fire to burn out due to its high temperatures and the release of toxic substances such as hydrogen fluoride. Fortunately, there have been no reported injuries, and air quality monitoring detected no signs of hydrogen fluoride. Experts have noted that the smoke may have contained heavy metals and PFAS, commonly known as “forever chemicals,” posing potential health risks to nearby residents and wildlife, including local sea otters.
The affected building was one of two facilities owned by a Texas-based energy company. There have been previous, less severe incidents at these facilities, including overheating batteries and fire suppression system malfunctions. The exact reason for the failure of the building’s water-based suppression system remains under investigation.
Despite this incident, global utility-scale battery systems have seen a remarkable 97 percent decline in fire-related failures between 2018 and 2023, according to recent research. Maria Chavez from the Union of Concerned Scientists highlighted that the decline occurred alongside a surge in battery storage deployments, illustrating the effectiveness of safety features designed to mitigate fire risks.
California is uniquely prepared for such emergencies, with legislation requiring local governments to establish response plans in collaboration with battery developers. Experts stress the importance of learning from this incident to enhance future battery storage designs.
The loss of the 300-megawatt facility at Moss Landing poses a significant challenge for both the energy company and California’s total energy storage capacity of 13,300 megawatts. Moss Landing plays a crucial role in storing renewable energy and decreasing reliance on fossil fuels, and the process of rebuilding battery capacity could span several years, further straining California’s energy grid amid ongoing recovery from recent wildfires.
“We can’t have battery fires like this,” an expert stated. “We can’t lose 300 megawatts of batteries overnight.”
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