Fire at PG&E’s Tesla battery storage facility in Moss Landing under control, authorities lift closures

LinkedIn
Twitter
Reddit
Facebook
Email

A fire at PG&E’s Tesla-supplied Elkhorn Battery energy storage system at Moss Landing, California, is considered fully controlled and road closures and shelter-in-place advisories have been lifted.

A statement from the County of Monterey authority, where the system is located, said that a fire at the plant started at 2am local time on 20 September (yesterday).

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Enjoy 12 months of exclusive analysis

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Annual digital subscription to the PV Tech Power journal
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

The fire was isolated to a single battery pack and led to the closure of Highway 1 from Molera to Jensen Road and local residents were advised to shelter in place with windows closed, due to the risk of hazardous materials.

A statement later that evening, 7.18 pm local time, said the incident was considered fully controlled and the North County Fire Department and Monterey County Sheriff’s Office had lifted the shelter in place advice and all road closures due to the incident, effective 6.50 pm.

The statement added that smoke could still occur and residents were being advised to remain vigilant.

CNBC quoted a captain of the fire department who said it was too early to know the cause of the incident.

PG&E commissioned the Elkhorn Battery, a 182.5MW/730MWh BESS which uses Tesla Megapacks, in April this year.

It is not to be confused with the Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility, a 400MW/1,600MWh BESS which is located at the same site but is an entirely separate system owned by Vistra Energy, but also providing power to PG&E. That project came back online in July after several months offline due to an overheating incident.

Read Next

May 14, 2025
California utility Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has announced its intent to return the Elkhorn battery energy storage system (BESS) to service by 1 June.
May 13, 2025
A news roundup focusing on Q1 financial results from Eos and Ormat with news of a rebrand from Hecate Grid, now Fullmark Energy.
Premium
May 9, 2025
Standalone BESS proposal from Engie has reached a permitting milestone in the California Energy Commission’s Opt-In Certification Program.
May 8, 2025
Developer and IPP Leeward Renewable Energy’s (LRE) 88MW/352MWh Chaparral Springs battery energy storage system (BESS) in Kern County, California is now fully operational.
May 5, 2025
US residential solar installer Sunrun’s virtual power plant (VPP) in California has more than quadrupled in size from 2024 to support the state’s grid as summer weather begins.

Most Popular

Email Newsletter