ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) — Janean Huston bought a ranch near Escondido 22 years ago with the goal of raising horses. She has eight in total: some are show horses, and some are pets.
“What would it be like for you to have to evacuate and leave these horses behind?”
“Panic, sheer panic. Because these are my children ... So I couldn’t, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t leave them behind," Huston said.
Huston fears this scenario could become a reality if the county proceeds with the AES Seguro battery storage project near her home.
In recent years, three battery storage facilities in San Diego County have caught fire. The most recent incident occurred last Thursday at an SDG&E station about a mile from Huston’s ranch. The fire, caused by burning lithium-ion batteries, forced hundreds to evacuate and heightened concerns about the Seguro project.
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“It really brought home exactly what these things are all about and the things we have to worry about,” said Andrew McSparron, who also lives near the project.
The proposed 22-acre site for the Seguro facility is just feet away from the nearest home, with a narrow dirt path as the only access to the main road.
“Many of us have horses or large livestock that couldn’t be readily evacuated,” McSparron said.
AES, the utility company behind the Seguro Project, said battery storage systems are essential for a reliable power grid and a clean energy future. The company claims that fire incidents at battery storage facilities are rare and that it will incorporate advanced safety features into the new project.
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“I don’t think it’s advanced enough to put it anywhere near humans and livestock,” Huston said.
The Escondido City Council recently passed a resolution addressing the risks of battery facilities in the area.
This week, the Board of Supervisors will discuss enhancing fire safety at these sites and may temporarily halt new applications for battery energy storage systems in the county.
“We’re hoping they will put politics aside and do the right thing to protect us,” Huston said.
It is unclear how the board’s meeting will affect the Seguro Project, which AES plans to start construction on next year.
