The City of Morro May just released a draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed battery energy storage system (BESS) project. Now, city officials want you to share your feedback.
The draft EIR was released on Monday and the public has 75 days to provide comment. Once public comment closes, the city’s environmental consultant will prepare a public response to those comments that will be included in the final EIR.
That’s expected to take around three weeks. Once that’s done, “It’ll go to the planning commission and city council later this summer,” said Cindy Jacinth, City of Morro Bay Planning Manager.
Vistra Energy owns the old power plant property and would construct a battery energy storage system facility on a 24-acre portion of the site. The project would include demolition of the three power plant stacks which the EIR says is the only significant and unavoidable impact due to historic and cultural reasons.
“So it’s really a tombstone. It’s really not an iconic thing. There’s some symbolism because everyone remembers the stacks,” said Barry Branin, Morro Bay resident.
“As far as Morro Bay goes and the whole persona of Morro Bay, it does not fit,” said Gary Naske, Atascadero resident.
In a statement to KSBY, Vistra Energy said in part, “We recognize that the operations are new to the residents of Morro Bay and look forward to continuing our dialogue in the weeks and months ahead.”
“The EIR itself is not an approval on the project. It really is just an information document at this point to help inform decision-makers, the council, the public on the environmental impacts of the project,” Jacinth said.
The project faces significant opposition in Morro Bay and sparked a citizen-led measure related to changes to land use designations of visitor-serving commercial. That measure is headed to the November ballot.
“[Measure] A-24 allows the citizens of Morro Bay, to change the zoning or land use down here, [it] will have to require a vote of the citizens,” Branin said.
The project even has the attention of people who visit Morro Bay from other parts of the county. Gary Naske visits Morro Bay four to five times a week.
“I just hate to see that happening because once something like that comes in and it’s allowed, it’s opening the door for more to come through,” Naske said.
Vistra Energy is hosting several community meetings in Morro Bay with the first starting next Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. at Del Mar Elementary School.
Public comments should be submitted to the city by 5 p.m. on May 28, 2024, at the following address or email address:
City of Morro Bay
Attn: Cindy Jacinth, Planning Manager
955 Shasta Avenue
Morro Bay, California 93442
Email: BESScomments@morrobayca.gov
To review the BESS Draft Environmental Impact report, click here.
