When a massive fire ignited in January at one of the world’s largest lithium-ion battery storage facilities, the neighbors demanded answers. They wanted to know what started the fire that smoldered for days, spewing toxic gas into the air and prompting evacuation warnings for 1,500 people.
Nearly five months later and with the fire’s cause still unknown, Pacific Gas & Electric began reopening an adjacent battery site on Sunday, despite objections from local officials.
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But the restart — which the utility company said was needed in order to meet summer energy demands — was called off almost as soon as it began.
On Sunday, workers who “began methodically returning the batteries to service” discovered “a clamp failure and coolant leak” in a Tesla Megapack battery unit on site, PG&E spokesman Paul Doherty said in a statement Monday.
“Out of an abundance of caution we are deferring the facility’s return to service until a later date,” Doherty said.
Renewable energy vs. safety
The situation in Moss Landing highlights some of the underlying tensions of California becoming more reliant upon renewable energy, electric vehicles and battery-powered devices.
State officials have aggressively pushed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by switching to clean energy sources. But the Vistra blaze has prompted calls for additional safety regulations around battery storage — as well as more local control over where storage sites are located.
The Elkhorn facility — which is owned by PG&E and maintained by both the utility company and Tesla — is one of two adjacent battery energy storage systems at the Moss Landing power complex near Monterey Bay. The other is owned by Texas-based Vistra Corp. The batteries store excess energy generated during the day and release it into the power grid during times of high demand, including evening hours.
Surging summer energy demands
Both facilities have been offline since Jan. 16, when a Vistra-owned building containing 99,000 LG battery modules caught fire.
The Elkhorn site includes 256 stationary Tesla Megapacks — essentially shipping container-sized units filled with battery modules. The facility did not burn but automatically shut down when its safety equipment detected the fire in the Vistra building.
PG&E announced last month that it planned to restart the Elkhorn facility by June 1 because, during the summer, “that power is necessary to effectively manage the demands of the California power grid.”
Tesla and the utility company, two PG&E vice presidents wrote in a letter to the county supervisors, “performed extensive inspection and clean-up” at the Elkhorn site.
After the discovery of problems at the Elkhorn facility Sunday, Monterey County Supervisor Glenn Church, whose district includes Moss Landing, called it “a good sign” that PG&E quickly paused the restart. But, he said, he still wants the utility company to wait until the fire investigations are complete to try again.
“That PG&E encountered problems as they recharged their batteries points out the volatility of this technology,” Church told The Times in an email Monday night.
Widespread health issues after the fire
In a survey of nearby residents conducted by the Monterey and Santa Cruz county health departments, 83% of respondents said they experienced at least one symptom — most commonly headaches, sore throats and coughing — shortly after the fire.
Nearly a quarter of respondents said they had trouble breathing, and 39% reported having a metallic taste in their mouth.
The survey, conducted in February and March, was completed by 1,539 people who lived or worked in the region at the time of the fire. The results were released Monday.
Today’s top stories
ICE agents toss flash-bangs in trendy San Diego neighborhood
- Tensions remain high in San Diego after last week’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement work raids at two Italian restaurants that ended with federal agents using flash-bang grenades against residents protesting the operations.
- It marks one of the more dramatic shows of force by federal immigration officials in California as the Trump administration vowed mass deportations of those in this country illegally.
- Last week, officials announced a raid at an L.A.-area underground nightclub that ended with the arrest of 36 Chinese and Taiwanese citizens suspected of being in the country illegally.
- In April, an estimated two dozen day laborers were detained in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection action outside a Home Depot in Pomona.
Tom Girardi sentenced to 7 years in prison
- A judge sentenced disgraced legal titan Tom Girardi, once among the nation’s most formidable trial attorneys, to seven years in prison for stealing millions of dollars from clients.
- In handing down the sentence, Judge Josephine Staton said that Girardi had used the settlements of catastrophically injured clients to underwrite a lifestyle of “private jets and country clubs” for himself and his wife, “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Erika Jayne.
9th circuit deals blow to qualified immunity, revives lawsuit against LAPD officer
- A federal appeals court has reversed a ruling that shielded a Los Angeles police officer from liability in a fatal shooting, a decision that experts say could have broad implications for future cases in which law enforcement officials attempt to claim protection from civil lawsuits under the doctrine known as qualified immunity.
- The ruling Monday by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals was the latest twist in a lawsuit against LAPD officer Toni McBride over an on-duty shooting that occurred in April 2020.
What else is going on
- A California surfer makes a narrow escape after a shark chomps his board. ‘My lucky day.’
- The celebrity haunt that made ‘Chinese chicken salad a household name’ to close this summer.
- A Molotov cocktail attack is part of a surge in antisemitic violence; ‘community is terrified.’
- A dad walking a baby was mistaken for homeless. The cops came. What he’s doing now may surprise you.
- A judge orders the woman who accused ex-Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer of sexual assault to pay damages by default.
- Dating apps used in Mexico to lure and kidnap U.S. citizens, officials warn.
- The Dodgers are reviewing stadium safety after a hunk of concrete reportedly fell on a Yankees fan.
- Bed bugs in a Ventura hotel lead to a $2-million jury ruling for bitten guests.
Commentary and opinions
- California’s proposed ban on plants near homes could be dangerously bad advice, according to guest columnists and scientists Max Moritz and Luca Carmignani.
- Trump shows that loyalty is all that matters to him, argues columnist Jonah Goldberg.
This morning’s must reads
Other must reads
- Mark Hamill starred in the ultimate battle of good and evil. Now he just wants to make America normal again.
- How ‘Will Trent’ star Ramón Rodriguez became an industry game-changer.
- Southern California water agencies settle a long-running legal battle, ending the dispute after 15 years of litigation.
- Coliseum, Crypto.com Arena and Long Beach waterfront are among the 2028 Paralympics venues.
For your downtime
Going out
- Experiences: L.A.’s Sphere-like venue Cosm turns ‘The Matrix’ into an immersive experience.
- Restaurants: 10 top mariscos spots for Sinaloan-style aguachile in L.A.
- Concerts: L.A.’s answer to Tiny Desk is hiding inside Mercado La Paloma.
Staying in
- Television: Owen Wilson charms in ‘Stick,’ a golf comedy on Apple TV+ about grief and growing up.
- Books: Lost L.A. comes to life in a reissued book about the city before freeways.
- Recipes: Here’s a recipe for shrimp, mushrooms and zucchini with poblano labneh sauce and corn salad.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.
A question for you: What’s the best advice you’ve gotten from your father or father figure?
Jim says, “Always tell the truth and you never have to remember what you said.”
Lisa says, “‘Things always look better in the morning.’ My dad was a realistic pessimist so this was solid advice coming from him and, over the years, it’s proved to be true in my own life.”
Email us at [email protected], and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.
And finally … your photo of the day
Today’s great photo is from Times photographer Gina Ferazzi at a Riverside track field with Abi, a transgender high school athlete who navigates a fight she never asked for.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Hailey Branson-Potts, staff writer
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, Sunday writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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