Major Fire at California Power Plant (world largest Lithium grid back up) Firefighters say best choice "Let it burn"

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alarmguy

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Wow, unrelated to the CA forest fires. A CA power plant made up of lithium battery packs to ease high demand times of electric grid use. Well, this is now the second time it caught fire but the fire that started yesterday is a big one.
2000 homeowners told to stay in-doors (or evacuate) 4,500 students to stay home from school due to possible toxic chemicals, it is also near a sensitive environmental area.

It boosts a capacity of 750 megawatts, 3,000 megawatt hours to stabilize CA power grid.
So once again, the way I see this is we still ignore the fire fighting problem of lithium and we are now loading up our roadways, parking garages and whatever else with lithium,

Ok, so back to the fire, NO fire suppression efforts are being made. Firefighters only can say the best way is just to let it burn. Drone footage at the time of publication showed firefighters 40% of the lithium back up buildings were engulfed in flames.

Source =
https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/17/us/evacuation-fire-power-plant-monterey-county/index.html

https://www.yahoo.com/news/over-2-000-people-told-143827239.html
 
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I can only imagine the huge amount of pollution that will run off into the prized and highly protected region of the Monterey Coastline. I bet they wish it was still a natural gas powered plant like it was for decades. But, hey, this is progress, right?

See this link about that area. The Moss Landing fire will drain right into the middle of it. The thought makes me ill.

Scott

https://www.mbari.org/know-your-ocean/monterey-canyon/
 
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Pablo said:
Wow that is a LOT of energy density. A LOT of batteries.

I think the tech is good, but I mean - we really need to boost safety protocols to the same as nuclear plants. Basically the same people who hate nukes are all in for battery power. Needs a balance.
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But we have a nuclear power plant called Diablo Canyon built right on the coast and adjacent to multiple earthquake faults. Only in California!

See link. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diablo_Canyon_earthquake_vulnerability

Scott
 
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Pablo said:
Wow that is a LOT of energy density. A LOT of batteries.

I think the tech is good, but I mean - we really need to boost safety protocols to the same as nuclear plants. Basically the same people who hate nukes are all in for battery power. Needs a balance.
Click to expand...
Yeah, we are a LONG way from that unfortunately.

Of note, this is not the 2nd fire, as reported in the article, but actually the 3rd.

Phase I caught fire in September of 2021, Phase II caught fire in February of 2022, this is now Phase I catching fire again. Great track record.
 
Pablo said:
Wow that is a LOT of energy density. A LOT of batteries.

I think the tech is good, but I mean - we really need to boost safety protocols to the same as nuclear plants. Basically the same people who hate nukes are all in for battery power. Needs a balance.
Click to expand...
Yeah and honestly I much rather live near a nuclear power plant because of its excellent safety record in the USA and most of the USA plants are old technology and still working safely.
 
cptbarkey said:
Huh, well, the state of California requires battery storage. The blame game will be very interesting.

Wikipedia:
"Utilities in California are required by a 2013 law to provide significant battery storage by 2024"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moss_Landing_Power_Plant#cite_note-PG&ETesla-16

https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/electrical-energy/energy-storage
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Good post. Interesting, just add the price of rebuilding this place to the CA ratepayers which is who will pay one way or another.
 
alarmguy said:
Good post. Interesting, just add the price of rebuilding this place to the CA ratepayers which is who will pay one way or another.
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Hopefully it won't be rebuilt. I've been driving past Moss Landing for 55 years visiting the Monterey Peninsula, Big Sur, or driving to Laguna Seca for the races. Moss Landing has always been an eyesore, but now it's an environmental disaster.

A little "fun fact", living about 40 miles from Diablo Canyon, but thankfully upwind, should the plant malfunction and spread radiation to the surrounding areas, the NRC states that all those who are mandated to evacuate the area (and possibly permanently), the homeowners and businesses will NOT be compensated for their loss of property. Brilliant.

Scott
 
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