Blue Lake City Council to Decide on Controversial Battery Storage Facility Amid Community Opposition

### Blue Lake City Council to Discuss Controversial Battery Storage Facility at Tomorrow’s Meeting

A large crowd gathered at the Blue Lake Fire Hall on Sunday to express their opposition to a contentious project that, if approved, would convert the city’s defunct power plant into a lithium-iron-phosphate battery energy storage facility. The Blue Lake City Council is set to make a decision regarding this proposed project at a meeting scheduled for tomorrow evening.

The proposal, put forth by Texas-based energy developer PowerTransitions, includes plans to demolish and remove parts of the existing infrastructure at the abandoned power plant. However, the transformer and substation would be repurposed for a 20-megawatt (MW) battery energy storage system (BESS). As part of the agreement, the city would sell two acres of the Powers Creek District site to PowerTransitions, which would cover the cleanup costs estimated to be up to $1.5 million.

Once completed, the BESS would consist of 10-20 battery units designed to store renewable energy for local providers, including the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA). The project has faced criticism from numerous Blue Lake residents who fear it could have “catastrophic consequences for [the] beautiful small city,” as expressed in an online petition that has garnered 119 signatures. Concerns have been raised about potential contamination of the water supply during floods and the risks of system failures or nearby fires leading to “explosions and release of toxic gases,” reminiscent of the recent incident at the Moss Landing Vistra Power Plant in Monterey County.

During the tense meeting, PowerTransitions Senior Advisor Jeff Goldstein outlined the benefits of the project, including its ability to provide a five-day energy supply during long-term outages. He acknowledged the risks associated with this technology, emphasizing that the Blue Lake BESS would utilize lithium-iron phosphate batteries, which are safer than traditional lithium-ion batteries that can pose dangers if damaged or overcharged. He illustrated his point with a slide presentation.

“What happened at Moss Landing is a tragedy, but the rules and regulations we are bound by now did not exist when that project was built,” Goldstein explained to the audience of over 100 residents, noting that the Moss Landing Power Plant has a capacity of 750 MW compared to the proposed 20 MW for Blue Lake.

Some residents expressed concern about PowerTransitions CEO Sean T. Long’s previous employment at Enron, which filed for bankruptcy in 2001 amid a significant accounting scandal that impacted the national energy sector. Goldstein defended Long, stating that his “ethics are impeccable.” He clarified that Long was not involved in the Enron scandal, having worked in a regional capacity in Africa during that time.

Despite Goldstein’s attempts to address the crowd, many attendees appeared uninterested in his explanations. The video recording of the meeting, which is linked below, is difficult to follow due to overlapping voices. Nonetheless, it was evident that the community remained dissatisfied.

In a follow-up email, Blue Lake City Manager Amanda Mager sought to clarify misinformation surrounding the battery storage facility. She stated that the proposed project “in no way resembles Moss Landing,” highlighting that battery storage technology is essential for maximizing the benefits of renewable resources. “I don’t know anyone in our community that would ever advocate for something resembling that project,” Mager told the Outpost. She further emphasized that the Blue Lake project is smaller in scale, does not involve an enclosed building, and utilizes different battery technology.

Mager added that the city has collaborated with the RCEA for years to explore options for transitioning the power plant. “We entered into an MOU with RCEA to act in an advisory role to the City to specifically look at a small-scale BESS for future investment,” she explained, noting that the RCEA has been acquiring renewable energy resources as part of the local energy portfolio.

The Blue Lake City Council will consider moving forward with PowerTransitions’ proposal during Tuesday’s meeting, which will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the Skinner Store, located at 111 Greenwood Road in Blue Lake. The full agenda and details for remote viewing and participation can be found through the provided link.