California Passes New Battery Storage Safety Standards

California Public Utilities Commission approves new standards for operating battery storage systems

New standards from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) are changing the way battery energy storage systems (BESS) will be operated in the state. On March 13, the CPUC passed standards for BESS that impose new technical requirements for maintenance and safety procedures and that grant the agency more power over emergency response plans.

The new standards include technical updates for BESS maintenance and operation, including establishing technical logbook standards and expanding emergency plans for all electrical generation facilities. For BESS operators, this will mean increased scrutiny of emergency response plans and revisions to existing safety, operational, and maintenance procedures. Meeting these new standards may also mean substantial engineering changes to BESS facilities, depending on the current state of operations.

The CPUC proposed these new standards on the heels of a widely publicized BESS fire in Moss Landing, California, in January. The fire burned for several days and led to evacuations, air quality concerns, and concerns about impacts to nearby wetlands. The incident prompted many questions about BESS safety and on Jan. 27, the CPUC introduced a proposal that would implement Senate Bill (SB) 1383 to establish BESS maintenance and operation standards and to increase scrutiny of emergency response action plans. 

SB 1383 is based on a longer history of proposed regulations and requirements. In October 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 38, which requires BESS owners to write emergency response plans and communications protocols with firefighters and emergency medical teams. These newest BESS requirements modify and add to the CPUC's General Order 167, Enforcement of Maintenance and Operation Standards for Electric Generating Facilities, which took effect in 2005.

More California BESS, more California BESS regulations

According to the CPUC, California has more BESS than any other state, with more than 13,000 MW of storage. Operators deployed more than 4,000 MW of BESS facilities in the state in 2024 alone. The CPUC says that currently BESS can meet 20% of the state's peak power demand but foresees more storage will be needed to help bring more renewable energy projects online. The agency says California will need an additional 52,000 MW of storage by 2045 — potentially thousands of BESS facilities across the state.