Latest news on energy storage fire protection policy

Why should energy storage policy makers care about the Moss Landing Fire?

Policy makers will play an important role in helping to ensure batteries continue to be deployed responsibly and effectively. To that end, the energy storage industry has developed a three-part strategy that includes policy recommendations and safety requirements aimed at holistically addressing concerns generated from the Moss Landing fire.

Are energy storage facilities safe?

“The energy storage industry is committed to a proactive and tireless approach to safety and reliability. At its core, energy storage facilities are critical infrastructure designed to protect people from power outages,” said ACP VP of Energy Storage Noah Roberts.

What are the considerations for fire protection?

At its meeting in December of 2023, the task group discussed the following considerations for fire protection: The hazard for bulk storage or warehouse storage is reduced significantly when compared to ESS since most of the mechanisms that cause thermal runaway are not present. However, the hazard remains considerable.

Which battery energy system storage providers have successful fire testing?

Two more battery energy system storage (BESS) providers, including a manufacturer, have detailed successful fire testing.

Are there fires at grid-scale energy storage facilities?

"Historically speaking, there have been very few fires at grid-scale energy storage facilities," Roberts said. The ACP report includes an assessment of incidents by the Fire and Risk Alliance, an engineering and consulting company, that looked into 35 fire incidents at U.S. battery systems between 2012 and 2024.

Are battery storage manufacturers demonstrating safety performance under extreme conditions?

These announcements follow a broader trend among battery storage manufacturers to publicly demonstrate safety performance under extreme conditions. In February, Huawei reported that its grid-forming BESS platform delayed fire ignition for seven hours during “extreme” thermal runaway testing, even as the number of failing cells increased.