Morro Bay's city council on Tuesday unanimously adopted an ordinance that temporarily prohibits certain battery-energy storage facilities within city limits.
The council voted 5-0 in favor of the urgency ordinance.
The ordinance is wide-ranging, preventing applications, approvals, establishments, relocations, or expansions — among other actions — of grid-scale battery-energy storage systems.
The ordinance lasts for an initial period of 45 days. The city has directed staff to return with another ordinance next month, extending the urgency ordinance to Jan. 28, 2027.
It comes in the wake of the Vistra battery-energy plant fire in Moss Landing Jan. 16. The fire sent potentially toxic smoke into the air and surrounding communities, leading to the temporary evacuations of hundreds of residents.
The council meeting on the topic was scheduled prior to the fire but took on renewed urgency and attention as residents' concerns mounted amid a real-world example of battery-energy storage technology catastrophically failing.
San Jose State University researchers recently announced the discovery of "unusually high concentrations of heavy-metal nanoparticles" in marsh soils close to the Vistra plant, KSBW previously reported.
Vistra, based out of Texas, is the same company seeking to build a battery-energy storage facility in Morro Bay.
The company would still be able to seek state approval for the project through Assembly Bill 205 — effectively side-stepping local authority.
Morro Bay councilmember Jeff Eckles previously told KSBY that Vistra has indicated its intent to seek approval through AB 205 process, but has yet to formally apply.
Assembly Bill 303 — recently introduced by Assemblymember Dawn Addis — would effectively return approval to local authorities.
"True climate solutions must benefit — not harm — our communities and natural environment," Addis said in a statement. "We have to continue to fight for the inclusion of community voice and proper citing of battery energy storage facilities."
Addis has said she wants Vistra to withdraw its proposal for the plant.
