MOSS LANDING — PG&E has informed Monterey County it plans on reactivating its Elkhorn Battery Storage Facility in Moss Landing by June 1 after turning it off in January in response to a fire at the nearby Vistra battery plant.
In a letter addressed to Monterey County Board of Supervisors Chair Chris Lopez dated May 7, PG&E detailed the steps it has taken to improve safety measures at its battery facility in preparation to return it to service.
Related Articles
Feds: Man pleads guilty to bombing PG&E transformers in South San Jose
Lynch: California may need a revolt against its utility commission
PG&E monthly electric bills are lower than last year, but changes loom
California Democrats take aim at renter late fees, energy bills with affordability package
California Democrats will try again to slash high energy bills
“The Elkhorn Facility, as constructed, allows for efficient storage and use of power,” PG&E said in the statement. “As summer approaches, it helps strengthen the reliability of the California power grid and protects PG&E’s customers from power limitations and related impacts. Accordingly, PG&E believes it is appropriate to return Elkhorn to service by June 1 to support grid reliability and that it is safe to do so.”
In a press release, Monterey County officials expressed concern over the plans to restart the battery facility and stated that a required emergency action plan in compliance with SB 38 has not been finalized and remains under review by the county and other agencies.
“The County of Monterey remains committed to public safety, environmental protection, and full regulatory compliance,” Monterey County officials wrote. “The County has reached out to and offered to work closely with all operators to ensure Emergency Action Plans adequately provide for the safety of the surrounding communities and the environment.”
The press release continued: “At this time, however, the County feels it is prudent to encourage PG&E to delay reactivation and continue to engage in additional open, transparent, dialogue with County officials, first responders, and the residents we collectively serve.”
PG&E stated in the letter that it has performed extensive inspection and clean-up at its Elkhorn Battery Storage Facility, including removal and proper disposal of ash/particulate matter, management of water runoff from heavy rains over the winter and continual air quality monitoring to asses any potential impacts. This came after PG&E coordinated with the Monterey County Incident Command to inspect the battery facility and review air quality data to confirm it was safe for personnel to return to the site.
On Sept. 20, 2022, a single Tesla Megapack battery caught fire at PG&E’s battery facility causing officials to close Highway 1 in the area as a precaution. The fire was extinguished and did not spread into adjacent megapacks or equipment, and PG&E said it continued to safely monitor the site until there was no risk of subsequent flare ups.
In the letter to Monterey County, PG&E stated that a subsequent investigation by Tesla “determined that the incident was caused by water ingress into the megapack due to the improper installation of deflagration vent shield panels.” Corrections were made to all 256 megapacks at the facility and an air dispersion model was created for the site. In consultation with Environmental Protection Agency personnel, PG&E also designed and installed a continuous air monitoring system that was commissioned in early 2025.
PG&E stated in the letter that it conducted training with firefighters, updated its emergency action plan and created an incident management team that was certified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to enhance its emergency response capabilities for the Elkhorn site.
“Although the (Jan. 16) fire occurred at the Vistra Moss Landing battery facility, the above-mentioned measures were undertaken to safeguard the PG&E Elkhorn Facility and the surrounding natural environment. PG&E believes this was the appropriate response as a responsible member of the Moss Landing community,” PG&E wrote.
Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church, whose district includes the two battery plants, wrote in a social media post that “PG&E is a public utility regulated by the State of California. As such, Monterey County does not have the authority to prevent or limit the facility’s return to operation.”
Church wrote that the Monterey County Board of Supervisors asked PG&E and Vistra in January to not restart the battery facilities until the causes of the fires had been determined and addressed. He stated that the California Public Utilities Commission and Vistra are conducting investigations into the cause of the Jan. 16 fire, but, to this date, neither has released findings regarding the cause.
“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 (battery energy storage system) fire in history,” Church wrote. “Restarting operations before investigations are complete and before stronger emergency protocols are in place is disappointing and deeply troubling. … Our residents deserve to feel safe, and our communities must have a stronger voice in decisions that affect their well-being.”
PG&E’s 182.5-megawatt Tesla Megapack battery in June 2022. (Tess Kenny/Monterey Herald)