PG&E shuts battery storage facility after failed restart

PG&E officials halted activities around the planned restart of its battery storage facility in Moss Landing on June 1, the same day it initiated those restart activities.

Company officials say they made the decision “out of an abundance of caution,” and did not give an estimated date for reopening.

The plant had been shut since Jan. 16, when a massive fire erupted at the Vistra battery storage facility, sending plumes of smoke and toxic gases into the air and prompting evacuation warnings for hundreds of people.

The fire reignited days later.

But while PG&E’s decision to shut down the plant gave a brief reprieve for residents—many of whom have formed action groups to demand more transparency from the companies—it was a return of the anxiety that has plagued them since the event.

That was the message Wednesday from Knut Johnson, an attorney with San Diego-based Singleton Schreiber law firm, which is leading a mass-action lawsuit with around 800 clients.

The fire, he said, dumped “tons of toxins all over this community.”

“They’ve been living with the fear and uncertainty of health problems,” he said. “They don’t know what’s going to happen. The thought of another plant opening without any investigation or understanding of how the first plant caught on fire and caused this disaster has caused an increase in anxiety.”

Johnson said his clients are seeking damages for the health effects of the fires, as well as losses property value and other costs such as displacement.

He is also representing businesses who say the fires affected them.

Wendy Kitchell, who runs Monterey Bay Eco Tours out of Moss Landing Harbor, said she has seen a drop in business since the fires occurred.

“This is very concerning that it happened,” she said. “We’re still concerned about the impact on wildlife. This is not only our business, but all of us live and breathe here, so we’re concerned about the health of the community.”

In a May 8 post on facebook, Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church said it was “disappointing and deeply troubling” that PG&E restarted before investigation into the fire and stronger emergency protocols were put into place.

“I had hoped that PG&E would take a more transparent and collaborative approach in addressing the concerns of our surrounding communities, which are still grappling with the fallout of the largest BESS fire in history,” he wrote.

“This decision highlights the critical need to return greater local input regarding this industry. This local involvement existed prior to 2022.”

But state law now limits that local authority, Church said. 

“Our residents deserve to feel safe, and our communities must have a stronger voice in decisions that affect their well-being,” he said.

In a statement read by Johnson, environmental activist Erin Brokivich said the failed reopening, “highlights the danger of rushing these plants back into operation.”

“The Moss Landing community is still recovering from the largest battery storage fire in history,” the statement says.  “The fear of another disaster is very real.”