Battery energy storage facilities.

Assembly Member Addis proposes new restrictions on battery energy storage systems in California through legislation that would prohibit development of large-scale battery facilities near sensitive locations and environmentally protected areas. The bill establishes a 3,200-foot buffer zone between battery storage projects and sensitive receptors, including residences, schools, healthcare facilities, and businesses open to the public.

The measure creates comprehensive definitions of environmentally sensitive sites where battery storage development would be prohibited, encompassing coastal zones, prime farmland, wetlands, high fire hazard areas, flood zones, and habitats for protected species. It also requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to deny any pending applications for battery storage systems capable of storing 200 megawatthours or more of energy.

Local agencies would need to incorporate these new restrictions into their development approval processes, though the bill allows them to fund implementation through existing fee authorities rather than requiring state reimbursement. The legislation includes an urgency clause for immediate effect upon passage, citing potential fire hazards from large energy storage systems as the basis for expedited implementation.