"Vistra’s flagship energy-storage project in California turned into a towering inferno, forcing evacuations and raising fresh concerns about large battery installations."
"Power company Vistra’s flagship grid battery project, housed in and around a historic power plant dating back to 1950, erupted into flames Thursday night and prompted nearby residents to evacuate from Moss Landing, California.
The cause of the fire is not known, but local authorities have reported that much of the building that housed the batteries was destroyed as of Friday morning. That makes this by far the most destructive of the four battery fires that have afflicted the small coastal town since it became a linchpin in California’s clean energy overhaul. And the dramatic conflagration complicates the energy-storage industry’s efforts to win community support for more large batteries, which are seen as crucial to cleaning up the electrical system.
Canary Media Executive Director Eric Wesoff witnessed the disaster firsthand from his home about a quarter mile down the road. Around 3 p.m. Thursday, alarms went off and some smoke appeared at the power plant, he said.
“It didn’t seem as if it was a very big emergency,” Wesoff recalled. “Then, at about 6 p.m., it became a 100-foot-tall inferno type of affair with a black smoke plume. … It was apocalyptic, orange fire lighting up the night sky, the sound of engines starting, and people packing up their vehicles to get the hell out.”"
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