e-Edition
Get the latest news in your inbox!
Get the latest news in your inbox!
e-Edition
Trending:
The county Planning Commission approved a controversial solar power and battery storage project for the desert community of Boulevard, which would become the fourth green-energy development in the sparsely populated East County region. While county planners offered some concessions to residents, core concerns over fire safety, evacuation routes and battery placement were left in limbo.
First proposed by the developer in 2022, Starlight Solar would industrialize about 588 acres near Old Highway 80 in unincorporated East County. Plans include a solar farm capable of generating up to 100 megawatts and a 217-megawatt battery energy storage system, constructed in two phases.
County planners voted unanimously Friday to advance the project to the county Board of Supervisors, one month after delaying their vote because residents said they needed more time to review environmental reports and push for stronger protections.
Opponents packed the hearing room in black shirts that listed the names of rural unincorporated East County communities that have turned into hubs for industrial-scale clean energy developments dubbed the “sacrifice zone.”
“This is a blight on our community and if they’re going to force it down our thoughts, they should have to offset it with something,” said Carl Anderson, a board member of the Boulevard Community Planning Group and the East County Fire Safety Council.
Opponents reiterated their stance that they were not against renewable energy, just the safety risks that can come with such projects.
Central to the controversy is the current design for the proposed battery energy storage system, which would place the batteries parallel to Jewel Valley Road, the only paved evacuation route for some Boulevard residents. While the developer agreed to increase battery storage setbacks to 500 feet from residences, opponents want them entirely relocated to address evacuation concerns.
In response to multiple battery fires last year, county leaders adopted interim guidelines as safety standards that are being reviewed by officials.
“The worst-case plume scenario occurs when the fire is large and extremely high wind conditions are present,” said Kevin Moore, an engineer hired by the developer to conduct a plume analysis.
The study measured toxicity and fire risks in the case of battery fire; however, it noted the developers have yet to decide which storage system will be used, making certain risks impossible to measure with certainty.
The latest plume study was made publicly available Thursday, which many opponents said warranted another continuation until county planners made a decision.
“California is moving toward stronger battery energy storage system protections, not weaker ones,” said Russell Gray, a 10-year resident of Boulevard. “We are asking the county to require fire protections that match the impacts this project presents.”
Opponents have also demanded stronger groundwater protections, dust mitigation efforts and a $7 million community benefit fund to spend on revitalization of the town.
Jim Whalen, a consultant for the developer, said the first phase of battery storage could not be relocated because it is already engineered. However, he said they would look into relocating the second phase of battery storage before the project goes in front of the Board of Supervisors.
County planners recommended the first phase of batteries have a containment barrier and water retention underneath them. The project will also require a third-party analysis of the plume study. Rather than being paid out in two phases, officials said the developer should pay out the $7 million community benefit fund in one phase.
Officials said negotiations with residents and the developer will continue ahead of the project’s final hurdle — approval from the Board of Supervisors.
Copyright 2026 San Diego Union-Tribune. All rights reserved. The use of any content on this website for the purpose of training artificial intelligence systems, algorithms, machine learning models, text and data mining, or similar use is strictly prohibited without explicit written consent.
