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Battery storageUnited StatesEIR-2587

PG&E shuts Elkhorn battery site after neighbouring Vistra facility fire

Jan 2025Published 27 Oct 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

Near-missNear-missProvisionalNext update 27 Oct
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
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out of service for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Pacific Gas and Electric

What happened

On 16 January 2025, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) shut down its Elkhorn battery storage facility in Monterey County, California, after its safety protocol equipment detected a fire at an adjacent battery facility owned by Vistra Corp. The PG&E facility did not catch fire. Following the Vistra fire, PG&E carried out inspection and clean-up at its site, including removing and disposing of particulate matter from structures, managing water runoff after heavy rains, and running continuous air monitoring.

PG&E said it worked with Monterey County Incident Command to inspect the site and review air quality data. In a letter to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors in May 2025, PG&E said it aimed to restart the facility by 1 June 2025 to support the grid during summer. A county supervisor criticised the plan to reopen before investigations were complete.

Contributing factors

The source describes the neighbouring Vistra facility fire as massive. Particulate matter settled on the PG&E facility's structures and water runoff needed managing after heavy rains. Investigations into the Vistra fire were not complete at the time of PG&E's letter, according to a county supervisor. The cause of the Vistra fire is not stated in the source.

Lessons learned

  1. Battery sites close to other energy storage facilities should have detection and automatic shutdown systems that can isolate equipment when a neighbouring fire is detected.
  2. After a nearby fire, clean-up should cover particulate deposits on structures and water runoff, backed by air quality monitoring, before any restart.
  3. Operators should agree restart criteria with local authorities and explain them publicly while investigations into the nearby incident are still open.

More lessons on detection and monitoring, emergency response and public communication, from every incident on the register.

Source

lookout.co

Site page: Elkhorn Battery Energy Storage System (status, dates and other incidents)

Other entries that name Elkhorn

Other entries that name Vistra

Published 2026-10-27. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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