San Diego, CA
Recent fires spark concern over Lithium Battery Storage facilities
Some county leaders are considering a moratorium after a couple of fires have broken out at battery storage facilities across the county. The most recent one happened Thursday in Escondido, evacuating hundreds of residents and businesses.
Nancy Jennings lives in Escondido, just a few miles from the SDG&E Lithium-Ion Battery Facility that caught fire. She was forced out of her home Thursday due to a power outage.
She said an SDG&E representative told her extreme heat caused the power to go out.
“When I had called SDC and spoke to their representative, she had checked with, her people there, and what they told her was that the fire had damaged SDC is equipment and that was why the outage and why it took so long to repair, because it was over 12 hours,” Jennings said.
SDG&E has not confirmed a connection between the fire and the power outage at Nancy’s home.
However, Nancy said she relies on power for survival.
“Appliances. Who cares? I can do with. I can’t do without my oxygen,” she said.
Nancy said even before the fire broke out at the SDG&E facility, she and many of her neighbors have opposed these battery facilities in their community.
“It’s just too dangerous,” Jennings said.
County Supervisor Jim Desmond for District 5 expressed a similar sentiment.
“We’re getting way too many fires from these types of battery storage facilities and we need to get some more, unfortunately some more regulations in place to make sure they’re safe,” Supervisor Desmond said.
On Wednesday, the county board of Supervisors is going to consider guidelines and a potential moratorium on the battery energy storage facilities.
Supervisor Desmond said the moratorium would only apply to Battery Systems that need county permits.
He said of the nearly 50 battery storage facilities across San Diego County, about 80 percent don’t require county permitting because they get approval through the California Public Utilities Commission.
“I don’t think a moratorium is required, but I do recommend that communities like Poway due the level of detail that Poway did,” Kevin Smith, CEO of Arevon Energy said.
Arevon Energy is a company that owns six operating battery storage facilities and has additional facilities in development, including one in Poway.
“We’ve got state of the art technology. A perfect track record on safety on our energy storage projects,” Smith said.
Smith said Battery storage facilities build grid stability, reduce brown outs and black outs, and facilitate renewable energy onto the system.
However, Supervisor Desmond said more regulations should be considered to ensure the safety of the community.
“We have to put some sort of safeguards in place to where any new ones have to have the latest and greatest technology for fire suppression, fire detection, and we have to make sure that those work,” Desmond said.
Especially, since another energy storage project has been proposed right around the corner from Nancy’s home.
“They need to figure out a better solution. It does not belong in this valley or anywhere near residences,” she said.
In a statement to NBC 7, SDG&E said in part, “Over the coming weeks, the Escondido Fire Department and SDG&E will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the fire.
San Diego, CA
City considering cutting funding to resource center for those experiencing homelessness
Last week Mayor Todd Gloria released the budget proposal for the 2027 fiscal budget. Protected homeless services is among his top priorities mentioned in the proposal. However, some of the reductions he’s proposing could impact thousands of San Diegans experiencing homelessness.
Located on 17th and K Street, the Neil Good Day Center offers an array of services to nearly seven thousand people experiencing homelessness. The services include giving them a place to shower and do laundry, and connecting them to a case manager, among others.
“These are critical services that are helping people off the streets, but really better their lives and their health and their employment situation as well,” Deacon Vargas with Father Joe’s Villages said.
Deacon Jim Vargas heads Father Joe’s Villages, which runs the center. He said through their prevention and diversion strategies, they’ve managed to keep nearly one thousand individuals from falling into homelessness.
“So by helping them pay rent, or helping them with their utilities, or helping them to reunite with family,” Vargas said.
Right now, the city allocates at least $850,000 per year to the Neil Good Day Center, according to Vargas.
But the future and funding for these services are in limbo because of Mayor Todd Gloria’s proposed budget cuts.
“The impact to those whom we’ve been serving the Daily Center would be very severe,” Deacon Vargas said.
In a statement to NBC 7, Mayor Todd Gloria said in part, “We must find more efficient and cost-effective ways to address this crisis and prioritize funding for programs that provide shelter beds and maximize resources to programs that place people into permanent housing.”
Since it’s still at a proposal stage, Deacon Vargas said it’s unclear how the city will decide to move forward.
However, Deacon Vargas said services would be significantly reduced because they would be forced to operate solely on a budget of about half a million dollars they receive from philanthropy.
“The hours would be cut. Some days would be cut. We would have showers that might be impacted because they’re given seven days a week and we’d close two days a week, then the showers would be five days a week, the case management,” Deacon Vargas said.
Deacon Vargas is certain of one thing.
He would like to continue offering services at the Day Center, even if the city goes through with the funding cuts.
“As we work with individuals at the Day Center and at Father Joe’s Villages, the community becomes healthier as a result of it,” Deacon Vargas said.
The budget also recommends additional cuts to homeless services, but does not give specifics as to where those cuts would be.
San Diego Padres (14-7) at Los Angeles Angels (11-11), April 19, 2026, 1:07 p.m. PST
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San Diego, CA
Solans, Luna, Guilavogui help RSL beat slumping San Diego, extend unbeaten streak to 6 games :: WRALSportsFan.com
SANDY, Utah — SANDY, Utah (AP) — Sergi Solans had two goals and an assist, Diego Luna added a goal and two assists, and Real Salt Lake beat San Diego FC 4-2 on Saturday night to extend its unbeaten streak to six games.
Morgan Guilavogui scored his first goal in MLS and had an assist for Real Salt Lake (5-1-1). The 28-year-old designated player has five goal contributions in his first six career games.
RSL hasn’t lost since a 1-0 defeat at Vancouver in the season opener.
San Diego (3-3-2) has lost three in a row and is winless in five straight.
Luna opened the scoring in the fifth minute when he re-directed a misplayed pass by Duran Ferree, San Diego’s 19-year-old goalkeeper, into the net.
Moments later, Solans headed home a perfectly-placed cross played by Luna from outside the right corner of the 18-yard box to the back post to make it 2-0. Solans, a 23-year-old forward, flicked a header from the center of the area inside the right post and past the outstretched arm of Ferree to make it 3-1 in the 37th minute.
Guilavogui slammed home a first-touch shot to give RSL a three-goal lead in the 45th.
Marcus Ingvartsen scored a goal in the 14th minute and Anders Dreyer converted from the penalty spot in the 66th for San Diego.
Ingvartsen has five goals and an assist this season and has 10 goal contributions (seven goals, three assists) in 16 career MLS appearances.
Rafael Cabral had three saves for RSL.
Ferree finished with five saves.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
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