Battery storage plan near San Juan Capistrano is withdrawn

Compass Energy Storage withdrew its application for a proposed battery storage facility on 13 acres near San Juan Capistrano after years of opposition from residents who cited wildfire risks and the project’s proximity to homes, Voice of OC reported.

The proposal drew scrutiny because the California Energy Commission could have approved the project despite city-level opposition and restrictions, according to Voice of OC.

Compass Energy Storage withdrew its application to the California Energy Commission on Sept. 1, according to Voice of OC. The company had sought approval for a battery energy storage facility on the northern edge of San Juan Capistrano.

The project called for lithium-iron-phosphate batteries connected to the power grid to store excess electricity and release it when needed, Voice of OC reported. The proposed site covered 13 acres.

In a notice signed by Ricky Davis, vice president of Compass Energy, the company said the withdrawal was tied to site and cost issues. "This notice is based on the inability to locate an alternative suitable site in proximity to the point of interconnect and due to changed economic conditions associated with the Project," Davis said, according to Voice of OC.

The resident group BLESSIN opposed the project for years, arguing it created wildfire risks near homes, schools and evacuation routes, Voice of OC reported. The San Juan Capistrano City Council voted multiple times to prohibit new commercial energy storage systems.

Laguna Niguel Mayor Gene Johns said the project would have been close to homes in his city. "That was a 13-acre facility they were going to build — 1,500 feet away from homes here in Laguna Niguel," Johns said, according to Voice of OC.

Voice of OC reported that opponents also pointed to battery storage fires elsewhere in California, including a January 2025 fire at the Moss Landing facility in Monterey County that led to evacuations and health complaints, and multiple fires in San Diego County in recent years.

The withdrawal leaves the South Orange County proposal off the state approval track for now, after residents and local officials pressed concerns over location and fire safety.