Should San Diego County Move Faster on Battery Storage? – San Diego Union-Tribune

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors recently passed legislation aimed at tightening safety regulations for future battery storage facilities in the county.

Fresh off a series of recent battery fires in the region, supervisors have decided to have the county fire department conduct a technical study, which should take a month to complete. Then, supervisors will discuss exactly what regulations will be passed.

Supervisor Jim Desmond voted against the initiative, calling for an immediate moratorium banning battery storage in facilities that do not have insulated containers.

On May 15, a fire broke out at the Gateway Energy Storage facility in an industrial park in Otay Mesa and burned for 17 days. Last week, a fire at a 30-megawatt, 120-megawatt-hour SDG&E facility in Escondido led to the evacuation of about 500 businesses.

Q: Should San Diego County act more quickly on battery storage?

Economists

Caroline Freund, Department of Global Policy and Strategy, University of California, San Diego

NO: The county is doing the right thing. When new technologies are adopted, regulatory reform is often needed to protect against unforeseen risks. Rushing to act can lead to overregulation, in this case slowing much-needed growth in clean energy supplies. Waiting too long can lead to unnecessary risks. The county appears to be balancing innovation with safety, while battery technology improves to reduce fire risks.

Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute of Economic Research

YES: Renewable energy may not be the green panacea many would have you believe. Electricity supply must be constantly matched to demand. If the grid becomes overwhelmed, critical infrastructure can be catastrophically damaged, but if supply fails to keep up with demand, blackouts or brownouts will occur. Wind and solar farms are random and unreliable generators of electricity, requiring large-scale battery storage that is 10,000 times more expensive than storing fossil fuels. Safe energy storage is essential.

James Hamilton, University of California, San Diego

NO: Battery storage facilities are a key part of making better use of renewable energy sources. But they are a risk that must be carefully managed. Lithium-ion battery fires are notoriously difficult to extinguish. We need to be careful where we put facilities and demand that the best safety designs are in place. It makes sense for the county to wait a month to make sure our public safety regulations are intelligently designed.

Norm Miller, University of San Diego

YES: While such risks appear to be small, we still need experts to consider appropriate buffer zones and whether certain battery types should be avoided in favor of others. For example, lithium iron phosphate is much more stable than lithium ion and lithium titanate, and those using manganese oxide are also much safer, so we need experts to consider the safety of any large-scale implementation.

David Ely, San Diego State University

NO: The safety of residents and businesses near battery storage facilities must be a priority. However, regulators’ decisions should also be guided by the goal of storing renewable energy to ensure a reliable power grid. Expanding battery storage infrastructure is critical to achieving this goal. Waiting for the completion of the technical report before finalizing battery storage regulations is a prudent approach to balancing these two priorities.

Management Staff

Phil Blair, workforce

YES: But don’t overdo it. Battery storage is essential for long-term use and storage of energy generated in the environment. We need to do it right, not over-regulate, be pragmatic about zoning or banning because of teething problems. Fires need to be taken very seriously and a solution found.

Gary London, London Moeder Advisors

YES: Battery storage is an ideal use of land in obscure parts of the county without major traffic or environmental concerns, once safety and fire hazards are addressed. Electricity is a big part of our energy future. Battery storage seems like a good way to monetize the desert. It shouldn’t be necessary to locate facilities in existing communities, although the economics of siting and grid expansion are certainly cost factors.

Bob Rauch, R. A. Rauch & Associates

YES: San Diego should immediately call for a moratorium banning battery storage in facilities without insulated containers. Large numbers of batteries create an explosive atmosphere and can release dangerous hydrogen gases. These fires are very difficult to contain, as we recently saw in Otay Mesa. While battery storage is critical to supporting renewable energy and meeting climate goals, the safety of local residents takes precedence here. Safety first.

Austin Neudecker, The Growth of Weaving

YES: County supervisors and fire departments are actively investigating this issue. I expect they will return quickly with recommendations or regulations to reduce the risks associated with large storage facilities. We will need additional storage capacity due to heat waves, adoption of electric vehicles, and increased solar power to match the timing of energy production and use. As such, we need to improve safety requirements for this growing sector.

Chris Van Gorder, Scripps Health

NO: In this case, I agree with the majority of the San Diego Board of Supervisors. Let the professionals make recommendations to the Board. If we want to move to clean energy sources and save all the energy generated by community solar panels, we will need battery fields. I believe they are necessary and can be made safe, but let’s get the experts’ advice before we introduce new regulations.

Jamie Moraga and Franklin Revere

NO: Any regulatory action should be well thought out, not knee-jerk. Battery storage increases grid reliability, helps prevent blackouts, and plays a key role in California’s ambitious clean energy and climate goals. Collaboration between state and local leaders, developers, and firefighters is paramount to both public safety and the importance of improving battery storage. Decisions should not be made lightly without further research and consideration.

Not participating this week:

Alan Gin, University of San DiegoHaney Hong, San Diego County Taxpayers AssociationRay Major, Economist

Have an idea for an Econometer question? Email me at [email protected]. Follow me on Threads: @phillip020

Originally published: September 19, 2024 at 1:47 PM