Assemblymember Diane Dixon, representing Newport Beach, expressed her concerns at a recent California Energy Commission (CEC) meeting regarding the proposed Compass Energy Storage Project in South Orange County. The meeting focused on the informational and environmental aspects of the project.
Dixon emphasized her prompt attendance after arriving from Sacramento, highlighting the shared concerns among constituents present at the meeting. “As soon as I landed in Orange County from Sacramento, I quickly drove to attend the CEC’s meeting on the Compass Energy Storage Project,” she stated. “I saw many constituents in attendance who shared my concerns with the potential project.”
The proposed facility, managed by Compass Energy Storage LLC, aims to establish a 250-megawatt battery energy storage system in San Juan Capistrano. While acknowledging the project’s intentions to provide reliable energy solutions for Orange County residents, Dixon raised safety concerns about its location. She remarked, “While intentions are good, and I support innovative ways to ensure Orange County residents have access to reliable energy, I have potential safety concerns with having a battery storage facility at this location.”
The site is planned within San Juan Capistrano’s northern area near Camino Capistrano and Interstate-5. Residents worry about evacuation challenges should a fire occur. Dixon referenced previous incidents across California involving similar facilities that revealed inadequate safety protocols in populated areas. She urged consideration of relocating the project farther from transportation routes and residential zones: “A number of recent fires throughout California related to these types of facilities has indicated insufficient protocols are in place, especially in cases where these facilities are located in populated areas,” said Assemblymember Dixon. “We should consider placing this project a safer distance from transportation sources and residential communities.”
For further details on Assemblymember Dixon’s letter to the CEC or more information about the project itself, interested parties can visit their respective websites.
Assemblymember Diane Dixon serves as a representative for California’s 72nd Assembly District which includes several cities such as Seal Beach and Huntington Beach.
