Battery energy storage project needs more oversight
EnerSmart Storage is proposing, through a minor use permit, a storage battery industrial/commercial facility at Creelman Lane.
The permit is for 11.15 acres, of which 1.7 acres would be used initially with the remaining acres to be used at a later date.
This is agricultural/residential property. The project would be done without a thorough environmental impact study/report.
The main concern is safety. These lithium ion storage batteries have a history of thermal runaways caused by meltdowns.
Whenever a large amount of energy is stored there is a risk of uncontrolled release of this energy that could result in fire and explosion. When these gases are released, they are highly flammable and toxic. When this happens, the gases that are produced are carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, methane, cyanide and other gases.
There has been no discussion to address these problems and there are numerous other problems.
They will be putting these batteries in a flood plain. What’s the plan? So far, this has not been addressed. Creelman Lane floods out during heavy rains.
Fire protection: There is one fire hydrant approximately 700 feet from the proposed facility. There should be two fire hydrants at each corner of the property a minimum of 50 feet away.
The road: Most of Creelman Lane is dirt and dead ends at the substation. If and when a thermal meltdown occurs, there is no quick response for emergency vehicles or evacuation of residents. This road needs paving from San Vicente Road to Keyes Road. (No dead ends). It needs a through street.
No evacuation plan or warning system if fire or explosion occurs.
Maintenance: Means more traffic on this dirt road. These are complex machinery with switches, relays and complicated electronics. , “What can go wrong, will go wrong.”
Other concerns: Batteries last three to five years or 2,000 cycles, then have to be replaced. This means traffic with large semi-trucks on dirt roads.
As of now, EnerSmart wants to put these storage batteries in with no consideration for the above. I feel they have a lot of work to do.
The facts are there is no regulation for large storage battery installation. The California Public Utilities Commission has put the installation of these on “the fast track,” which to me means, “Tell me where you want them and we will make it happen.”
The real and honest reason for these storage batteries is for profit. SDG&E does not produce enough electricity to supply San Diego. They have to import (buy) electricity from all over the country. These batteries, by storing electricity, reduces that cost … Smoke and mirrors folks.
Robert Romeo
Ramona
Note from EnerSmart co-founder James Beach: “Our batteries’ chemistry is based on lithium iron phosphate, which is much safer than the more commonly used lithium ion chemistry. While lithium iron batteries have experienced some fire issues, lithium iron phosphate batteries are highly resilient during oxygen loss, and as a result, its cells are harder to ignite in the event of mishandling.”
