State, Feds to Address Moss Landing BESS Fire Aftermath

Monterey County supervisors to host update on cleanup efforts and investigation into cause of blaze

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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The Monterey County Board of Supervisors has scheduled a two-hour update on March 17 with federal and state agencies involved in the cleanup of the Moss Landing Vistra battery energy storage system (BESS) fire. The public meeting will provide information on the progress of the cleanup efforts, which have included the de-energizing and removal of over 19,000 of the 35,772 intact battery modules. However, the cause of the fire that destroyed the Moss 300 BESS facility has still not been determined, raising concerns from local officials and residents about the safety of restarting the remaining BESS facilities.

Why it matters

The Moss Landing BESS fire has raised significant concerns about the safety and reliability of large-scale battery energy storage systems, which are seen as critical to supporting the growth of renewable energy. The lack of clarity around the cause of the fire has fueled public distrust and uncertainty about whether the remaining BESS facilities should be restarted without a full understanding of what went wrong.

The details

The Moss Landing BESS facility is actually comprised of three separate facilities, with the Moss 300 facility being the one that was destroyed in the fire. This facility used densely stacked LG lithium-ion battery racks installed indoors, which the lead investigator for the local Never Again Moss Landing group believes contributed to the rapid spread of the fire due to the lack of separation between the battery modules. The Moss 100 facility was already offline when the fire occurred and remains in limbo, while the Moss 350 facility, which uses containerized outdoor battery units, is being evaluated for a potential restart by Vistra.

  • The Moss Landing BESS fire occurred in early 2025.
  • More than 19,000 of the 35,772 intact battery modules have been de-energized and 16,000 have been removed to a facility in Nevada as of February 2026.
  • The second phase of demolition at the site is still expected to begin in mid-2026.
  • The Monterey County Board of Supervisors meeting with federal and state agencies is scheduled for March 17, 2026.
  • Vistra has not determined a timeline for potentially restarting the Moss 350 BESS facility.

The players

Kelsey Scanlon

Director of the Monterey County Department of Emergency Management.

Glenn Church

Monterey County Supervisor who expressed concerns about restarting the BESS facilities without knowing the cause of the fire.

Ed Mitchell

Lead investigator for the local group Never Again Moss Landing, who believes the close proximity of the battery modules contributed to the fire.

Wendy Root-Askew

Monterey County Board of Supervisors Chair, who said the county would work to ensure pertinent questions are answered at the March 17 meeting.

Vistra

The owner and operator of the Moss Landing BESS facilities, which are evaluating the potential restart of the undamaged Moss 350 facility.

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What they’re saying

“It's a year later and not much is different other than Vistra is just going to do what Vistra is going to do. A quick six-minute update … isn't really doing it. So I hope the March 17 one is a lot better.”

— Michelle Cleary, Resident (tpgonlinedaily.com)

“I just can't stress how important it is to know the cause of the fire because Vistra will start up, I'm assuming, sometime this year. It's their decision under the CPUC (California Public Utilities Commission). We don't have any say-so on that. Maybe we're not even going to get this truly answered because it just seems like the CPUC is not taking it seriously.”

— Glenn Church, Monterey County Supervisor (tpgonlinedaily.com)

“Look at those. That is zero separation for every box in the building. … No wonder it burned down.”

— Ed Mitchell, Lead Investigator, Never Again Moss Landing (tpgonlinedaily.com)

What’s next

The Monterey County Board of Supervisors will host the two-hour update with federal and state agencies on March 17, 2026 to provide more information on the Moss Landing BESS fire cleanup efforts and investigation into the cause of the blaze.

The takeaway

The lack of clarity around the cause of the Moss Landing BESS fire has eroded public trust in the safety and reliability of large-scale battery energy storage systems, which are critical to supporting the growth of renewable energy. Determining the root cause of the fire and implementing appropriate safety measures will be essential to restoring confidence in this emerging technology.