Thank you to everyone who signed the Petition and who played a role in protecting our community, raising awareness about the risks of BESS, and advocating for stronger safety measures and responsible placement through strategic engagement with the County. We could not have done this without your support! THANK YOU!
High-Risk Seguro Battery Energy Storage System Proposal Withdrawn
Developer withdraws application in high-fire-risk unincorporated San Diego County
ESCONDIDO, Calif. – The developer of the proposed Seguro Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project has submitted a formal request to San Diego County to withdraw its project application. The unincorporated communities of Eden Valley, Harmony Grove and Elfin Forest, adjacent to the proposed project, have been fighting the project since it was first proposed in 2023.
“We understand the importance of BESS facilities to our energy transition, but we must ensure that the safety of communities is taken into consideration when siting these facilities that have a strong, well-documented history of chemical fires,” stated JP Theberge, a community leader and member of the Elfin Forest/Harmony Grove Town Council. “The community spoke loud and clear about this. More than 5,000 signatures were gathered, and close to a thousand letters were submitted.”
The Seguro project would have been one of the largest facilities of its kind anywhere, and the only one of its kind proposed in a residentially zoned area surrounded by homes. BESS facilities like the proposed Seguro Energy Storage project are inherently volatile and at high risk of catching fire. These types of lithium battery storage facilities are typically located in industrial areas or out-of-use power facilities, far from homes and other sensitive sites, like hospitals, due to their well-documented fire risk and the difficulty managing the types of fires they generate. The fires that erupt from lithium batteries are extremely toxic, hard to extinguish, and tend to last for several days spreading toxic fumes and depositing heavy metals for miles around.
“Easement rejection by the nearby hospital and nearby business park, as well as stricter siting requirements, made this project a no-go,” continued Theberge. “We’re glad the developer has withdrawn their application. We wish them the best and hope they find a site that is suitable while also protecting neighborhoods from potential thermal runaway fires.”
There have been 107 documented BESS fire events since 2011, more than once a month since 2022. Recent fires include San Diego's own Gateway Energy Storage Facility that burned for seven days, and a 2025 fire at Moss Landing that destroyed the entire facility. - Public Good PR