
Photo: Getty Images
The lithium battery storage station is located in Moss Landing, Monterey County, California.
Vistra Energy's plant is one of the largest battery storage facilities in the world, housing tens of thousands of lithium batteries used to store electricity from solar power and other sources.
Monterey County authorities announced an evacuation on the evening of January 16 due to a fire that broke out at a battery storage facility on the Central California coast, which the company claims is the largest in the world. This was reported by Politico on Friday, January 17.
Evacuations have been declared in eight areas of the district.
"The cause of the fire is not yet known, but an investigation will begin once the fire is extinguished," said company spokeswoman Jenny Lyon.
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office earlier urged local residents to close their windows "as a precaution." The California Highway Patrol also closed Highway 1 near the station.
????# BREAKING: Evacuation orders have been issued after a lithium battery plant caught fire releasing hazardous toxins into the air⁰⁰📌#MossLanding | #California ⁰⁰Currently, numerous emergency crews are on the scene of a massive fire broke out at the Moss Landing Power Plant's… pic.twitter.com/MMcpY0yka1
- RAWSALERTS (@rawsalerts) January 17, 2025
The storage facility has a capacity of 750 megawatts, which is enough to power about 562 homes for four hours.