Tell San Diego County that risky, utility-scale energy projects don’t belong in residential neighbor-hoods. They belong in industrial zones.
What is Seguro?
One of the largest lithium-ion battery energy storage (BESS) facilities in the world, being proposed in the residentially-zoned Eden Valley community, in San Diego County.
BESS facilities have been notorious for lithium-ion thermal runaway fires that have lasted days, which is why they are typically zoned in industrial areas. The energy industry itself has acknowledged that this is their number one weakness. There has been one large scale BESS fire per month since 2021 proving that these facilities belong where they have zero chance of impacting residents.
What is a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)?
BESS facilities are complex systems that hold millions of lithium ion batteries that store energy for when the grid needs it. They buy energy to store when demand is low and then sell it back to the grid when energy is at a premium. While it is very profitable for energy companies , lithium-ion batteries are also prone to “thermal runaway” which is an uncontrollable fire that emits toxic fumes and can last for days. The Seguro project will have millions of individual lithium ion cells distributed in hundreds of container-sized units on a 23 acre facility in Eden Valley, a quiet, unincorporated residential neighborhood near Escondido.
Seguro is a massive, industrial facility.
AI Depiction of approximately five thousand Tesla Model 3 cars. Seguro has the equivalent of more than three times this many Teslas. worth of energy
Is there a risk?
87 lithium-ion BESS fires have occurred in the past decade or so, so yes, there is a risk. The industry is very clear about the fact that fire risk cannot be eliminated.
The industry acknowledges risk; it is part of the profit equation.
According to the Energy Power Research Institute (EPRI), the industry’s research group, at least 87 lithium-ion BESS facility fires (link) have occurred since the first facilities first came online with about most occurring in the past 3 years. It is a relatively nascent industry and “risk” is a part of the profit equation. The industry uses the term “planning for failure,” acknowledging the inherent risk these facilities pose.
City of San Diego Fire Department: Presentation on Lithium-ion battery emergencies. BESS are most dangerous, highest risk of injury.
Otay Mesa, May 2024
On May 15th, a BESS fire started at the Gateway Energy Storage facility in an industrial zone in Otay Mesa. This facility came online in 2020 and was the largest in the world at the time with 250MWh of energy. 50 firefighters were on scene, roads were closed and evacuations were ordered. The nearest inhabited facility, the Denton Correctional Facility 1.5 miles away endured a shelter-in-place order (close windows, shut off ventilation, etc.).
Sited in an industrial area, this fire was unlikely to impact residential neighborhoods which are miles away. The proposed Seguro project will be 5 times larger than this and will be surrounded on all sides by hundreds of homes and 1600 feet from Palomar Hospital. Even a small fire would unfairly impact public safety.
Even the developer, AES, a publicly traded company, warns its shareholders about the risks in its annual report.
