Governor Calls for Probe of California Battery Plant Fire

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Gov. Gavin Newsom has called for an investigation into a huge fire at one of the world’s largest battery storage plants in Moss Landing, Calif., which has jolted California’s renewable energy industry.

“The governor believes there should be an investigation into this incident to determine cause and any steps that can be taken to make older facilities like Moss Landing safer,” said Daniel Villasenor, a spokesman for Newsom. “As the governor has said before, as this technology has evolved, California has done extensive work to advance battery safety and reliability.”

Villasenor said Newsom thinks Vistra, the Texas company that owns the burned battery plant, and the California Public Utilities Commission, a state agency, should each conduct investigations into the fire that erupted Jan. 16. The commission’s Safety and Enforcement Division is scheduled to meet with plant officials.

Meanwhile local leaders on Jan. 21 asked the two companies that operate at the site to shut down their battery storage facilities there indefinitely until the cause of the fire can be discovered and steps can be taken to reduce the risk of another.

VISTRA …