Monterey County seeks input on Battery Energy Storage System ordinance, with first meeting in Prunedale.

The County of Monterey Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) kicked off the first of what will be many community meetings to solicit input and develop an ordinance to regulate Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facilities in unincorporated areas of Monterey County.

Around 40 people gathered at Prunedale Grange on Wednesday, March 18, along with several local officials, including Department of Emergency Services Director Kelsey Scanlon, District 2 Supervisor Glenn Church and Agricultural Commissioner Juan Hidalgo. Craig Spencer, director of Housing and Community Development, gave a presentation on the regulatory environment surrounding the emerging industry, as well as a high-level overview of the considerations other jurisdictions in the state are exploring as they develop BESS ordinances.

“We’re trying to get on the same page with the community,” Spencer said to the crowd. “This is very early in the process, we don’t have an ordinance started, this really is about getting your feedback.” 

The ordinance will be built iteratively, beginning with a legal and technical foundation, then incorporating community and expert input to create a draft. Its purpose is to strengthen the link between land-use approval, emergency planning and safety standards.

In October 2025, Church introduced a referral requesting adoption of an urgency ordinance and asking for a moratorium to be placed on BESS facilities in unincorporated areas. County supervisors decided not to move forward with the moratorium, but did decide to pursue the ordinance. 

HCD and the Office of County Counsel are leading the process, aiming to have an ordinance adopted by the end of the year that will establish policies for oversight, permitting, standards and operations. Because these facilities fall at the intersection of overlapping jurisdictions, several state and regional agencies will be involved, including the California Coastal Commission, California Energy Commission, and local fire and water districts.

Spencer noted the County has looked to other California jurisdictions that have already adopted BESS regulations as reference points, including Solano, Orange and Santa Cruz counties. They are also reviewing standards from independent testing labs that establish installation and safety guidelines.

“We have information from their efforts that we can draw from and apply,” Spencer said.

“[Our role is] to organize the right people to be in the right places with the right input to achieve the right outcomes. Then, we bring it before the board, which ultimately decides whether we did a good job.”

Stay up to date with the next steps of this process on the County’s BESS ordinance webpage.