ESCONDIDO — Once an equestrian facility is now the site of a massive battle between residents and Big Energy.
Phyllis Laderman and Andrew McSparron have lived in Eden Valley for 40 and 43 years, respectively. Now, their homes in unincorporated San Diego County are in jeopardy of sharing a property line with a massive battery energy storage system known as the Seguro Battery Energy Storage System.
The two said they first heard about the proposal for the 1,280-megawatt-per-hour facility about two years ago. Now, hundreds of other residents, along with the Escondido City Council, are fighting back against AES’ proposal to construct 216 containers to store the batteries on 22.55 acres on Country Club Drive.
The City Council adopted a resolution Wednesday, 4-1 with Councilwoman Consuelo Martinez voting no, calling for regulations on battery storage systems and urging the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to adopt regulations for those facilities.
“It’s not a bad business, it’s the wrong area,” Councilman Mike Morasco said. “If you go to the one house that will be surrounded on three sides … by a 12-foot wall with blatant disregard to that individual’s property values, their life, anything because it just happens to be where they want to put it.”
