Hecate Grid BESS Containers

PROJECT UPDATES & COMPANY INFO

Hecate Grid
Proposed Humidor Lithium-Ion Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Facility

This page contains information about Hecate Grid's Proposed Lithium-Ion Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Facility to be located in Acton, California. It has been gathered directly from Hecate Grid's own in-person presentations and from their company websites (see contact info below).

Please read through their provided information to learn about the proposed facility: what it is, what it will do, how it will store the lithium-ion batteries, and how the batteries will provide back-up electricity to various metropolitan areas in California.

To learn why the Hecate Grid Humidor Lithium-Ion Battery Storage Energy Storage System (BESS) Facility is ABSOLUTELY NOT right for Acton, please click HERE for:
  • Up-to-date news about the progress of the Acton Takes Action Community Task Force along with Acton and Agua Dulce residents in opposing all of the proposed (BESS) facilities;
  • Publications and articles regarding the extremely dangerous nature of lithium-Ion (BESS) facilities;
  • Links to more resources;
  • (PETITIONS CLOSED) Acton Takes Action Opposition Petition against all proposed (BESS) facilities.

PROJECT UPDATES

Letter to LA County Planning – Acton BESS Opposition with FIRESCOPE CALIFORNIA Lithium-ion Battery Emergencies Training YouTube Video Link

Acton Takes Action | August 13, 2023 – Today, ATA Chair, Ruthie Brock wrote a letter to Ms A. Bodek, at LA County Planning further emphasizing Acton's opposition to BESS Projects being located in Acton, CA. In her email letter to Ms Bodek, Ms Brock also included a link to an eye-opening, stark video about the extreme fire and toxic gas dangers lithium-ion batteries present in a multitude of settings and in products that use Li-ion batteries. The Lithium-ion battery emergencies training video was released by California government agency, FIRESCOPE CALIFORNIA to CA firefighters statewide in October 2022.

Ruthie Brock requested that Ms Bodek and staff at LA County Planning view the video to see and understand for themselves the long-list of lethal, high-risk dangers li-ion batteries and BESS facilities pose to people and communities, stating clearly that, "FACT. Safety knowledge and mitigation procedures are failing to keep up with the technology that is leaping forward without critical foundational safety measures in place."; adding, "In simple terms, the Energy Industry is out over its skis."

To read the full letter, CLICK HERE to jump to the ATA's letter to LACo Planning. The letter also includes links to the FIRESCOPE CA website and its training video on YouTube.

Acton Residents Upset BESS Concerns Being Ignored, SCVTheSignal.com Article, Dangers of BESS facilities in Acton, CA
Acton Residents Upset BESS Concerns Being Ignored

Santa Clarita Valley The Signal | August 11, 2023 – Today, the Santa Clarita Valley The Signal Newspaper (online) published an update regarding Acton residents expressing concern this week after learning county officials had, as Acton Town Council President Jeremiah Owen put it succinctly on Friday, “rescinded their rescission,” meaning they reversed their move to receive public input over a battery-storage project being proposed in the rural community.

We urge the community to read the full article to stay up-to-date and informed about the critical issues BESS projects present to the Acton community!

CLICK HERE to jump to the Signal's August 11, 2023, article: "Acton Residents Upset BESS Concerns Being Ignored"

ATA Sends 3rd Letter to BOS 5th District Supervisor, Kathryn Barger Regarding Acton's Opposition to Ministerial Review for Hecate Grid's Humidor BESS Project

Acton Takes Action | August 10, 2023 – This morning, ATA Chair Ruthie Brock, sent a third letter via email to BOS 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, to comment on the recent decision by LA County Planning to grant a return to a ministerial Site Plan Review (SPR) for Hecate Grid's proposed Humidor BESS facility to be located in Acton, California.

In her letter, Brock begins by pointing out the following:

"The Humidor BESS is only one of a potential six battery energy storage facilities that have targeted Acton due to the proximity to the Vincent Substation.  The process by which this project is reviewed is the template for all projects of this type moving forward. To not give this project the appropriate level of scrutiny it warrants is showing a disregard for the known fire risks associated with lithium-ion batteries."

Ms Brock further emphasized the danger of down grading the project review process by stating: "We do not believe that a ministerial review is adequate for approving a BESS that would be storing and transmitting millions of watts of energy and utilizing lithium-ion batteries to accomplish this.  In addition, this project is proposed in a designated Very High Fire Hazard Area in extreme proximity to ranch homes, Metro rail tracks and the busy State Route 14.   It also sits over the Acton Water Basin, on the border of the designated SEA, and beside the San Andreas Fault."

Very importantly, she further states that, "We [the Acton Community] do not believe a ministerial review of this project (and the others to follow) is conforming with the Antelope Valley Area Plan's approved land uses for renewable energy projects [nor other state laws and statutes including the Public Resource Code and the Warren-Alquist Act regarding energy projects]."

We urge the community to read ATA Chair Ruthie Brock's full letter to Supervisor Barger, which contains specific and detailed information on why the Humidor BESS project should NOT be down graded to an unacceptable ministerial SPR.

CLICK HERE to jump to the ATA's August 10, 2023, letter to Supervisor Barger: "Acton's Opposition to Ministerial Review for Hecate Grid's Humidor BESS Project."

ATA Clarification of August 1, 2023 Hecate Grid Humidor Project BESS Update Post

Acton Takes Action | August 08, 2023 – This morning, ATA Chair Ruthie Brock, posted a clarification of her August 1st post on social media platform Next Door, regarding the Hecate Grid update that their Humidor BESS project had been returned to a ministerial review with LA County (See August 1, 2023 bulletin below.). Ms Brock's clarification is included here:

"I want to apologize for missing a very important point regarding Hecate Grid's Humidor BESS project being returned to a ministerial Site Plan Review (SPR). I wrongly focused on the modification of the project, now no longer being developed on any A-2 zoned land, being the main reason for the project being allowed to undergo a ministerial SPR. That was the discussion I had with a representative at Regional Planning.

In reading the letter from Los Angeles County Planning (County) that was sent to the Acton Town Council (ATC), it’s clear this downgrade to a ministerial review was based on the County’s decision to recognize the battery storage as an “Electric Distribution Substation" (EDS) instead of an “Electric Transmission Substation” (ETS).

This decision was made by County in an effort to find an allowable M-1 zoning use most similar to battery energy storage. The ATC completely disagrees with this interpretation of the project as an “EDS” and will be challenging the County’s decision.

Again, I apologize for not focusing on the most important reason behind the County’s reasoning in returning the Hecate project to their original requirement of a ministerial review."

As Ruthie Brock concluded her clarification, she urged everybody to read the letter from the County to the ATC dated August 1, 2023, in order to understand the County's basis for their decision, and why the distinction between an "EDS" or an "ETS" classification being applied to the Humidor BESS project is so important.

CLICK HERE to jump to the County's August 1, 2023, letter to the ATC: "Los Angeles County Planning Department – Hecate Humidor BESS (APNs 3056004058 and 3056004044)."

Letter to LACoFD | ATA Inquiry About the Progress of the Application by Hecate on the Humidor Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project proposed for Acton, CA.

Acton Takes Action | August 02, 2023 – On August 1st, ATA Chair, Ruthie Brock, posted an update on the Hecate Humidor BESS project being returned to a ministerial review with LA County (See August 1, 2023 bulletin below.). Later on the afternoon of August 1, Mrs Brock received an answer to her email sent to LACoFD Fire Prevention Captain Canchola in the Lancaster, CA, office, from LACoFD Fire Prevention Division Chief Yanagisawa (who was copied in the initial email). Ruthie then sent her response to Chief Yanagisawa.

In his response, Chief Yanagisawa wrote, "Regarding the application filed by the developer with the LA County Fire Department, a basic site plan has been submitted. We are waiting for a detailed plan submission. I can assure you that any application that we receive undergoes a thorough review to ensure compliance with fire safety regulations and to mitigate potential risks." He further wrote, "The concerns about the fire risks associated with lithium-ion batteries are indeed valid." To read the full text of the correspondence, CLICK HERE.

Please remember to attend the next ATC meeting on Monday, August 7, 2023, at 6.30pm in the Acton-Agua Dulce Library meeting room. We need to continue to demonstrate the Acton Community's strong Anti-BESS position. Don't forget to wear your "Don't BESS with Acton" t-shirt!

Important BESS Update on Hecate Grid's Humidor BESS Project

Acton Takes Action | August 01, 2023 – ATA Chair, Ruthie Brock reported today on social media platform, Next Door, that the Acton Town Council (ATC) had received disappointing news regarding the status of Hecate Grid's Humidor BESS project.

Back in February, the ATC was able to stop a ministerial approval of the Hecate Humidor project due to it being partially located on A-2 zoned land. Regional Planning rescinded their initial approval and then required that the project go through a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) process. The “CUP” process would have been far more stringent because a BESS facility would not be able to comply with A-2 zoning allowable uses.

Today, August 1st, the ATC received an update on the Humidor project from Regional Planning. The developer (Hecate) has modified their project so that it no longer is on any A-2 zoned land, therefore Regional Planning has reopened their application under a ministerial review.

The ATC reached out to Ruthie Brock and informed her of the news. Mrs Brock immediately went, in person, to the Regional Planning and Building and Safety office to inquire about the progress of the newly reopened ministerial review application. Ruthie was told that there is nothing filed as far as permits yet in the system, but that the developer had made contact with Fire Prevention back in April. Mrs Brock then went to the Fire Prevention desk at Building & Safety for further information, but the staff member manning that desk had departed for lunch. After getting contact information from B&S for LACoFD, Ruthie was later able to email the LACoFD Fire Captain in charge, also cc:'g Chief Yanagisawa, Chief of LACoFD Fire Prevention Division, and is now awaiting a response from the fire department.

For now, the Hecate Grid Humidor BESS Project is back and undergoing a ministerial review for approval. To be clear, there is no approval as of August 1st. The ATC is digging back in, preparing to rebut Regional Planning's decision to downgrade the Humidor project to ministerial approval.

Please attend the next ATC meeting on Monday, August 7, 2023, at 6.30pm in the Acton-Agua Dulce Library meeting room. We need to continue to demonstrate the Acton Community's strong Anti-BESS position. And... don't forget to wear your "Don't BESS with Acton t-shirt!

Acton Town Council Meets with L.A. County Board of Supervisors, 5th District Supervisor, Kathryn Barger to Discuss Battery Energy Storage System Projects Proposed for Development in Acton, CA

Acton Town Council | July 17, 2023 – At the meeting, the Acton Town Council was able to share the concerns of our community and discuss the upcoming challenges facing us in our efforts to oppose these mammoth-capacity lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) facilities.

The discussion covered a number of important BESS-related topics such as project siting requirements, the California Energy Commission's "Opt-in Program," land use jurisdiction, requirements for energy development as covered in California Assembly Bill AB205 and the Warren-Alquist Act, LA County’s adopted Antelope Valley General Plan, and so much more. To read the full meeting report, CLICK HERE.

Acton Town Council | June 7, 2023 – Previously, the County Department of Regional Planning (DRP) had approved a Site Plan for the project but the minute the ATC learned about it they wrote to the DRP telling them that they will have to process a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) and cannot approve it with a site plan. The ATC also told them that a portion of the project is not allowed at all because it is on A-2 zoned land (agricultural zoning). The DRP agreed with the ATC and told the applicant that they need to apply for a CUP; the DRP rescinded the approval and the applicant withdrew the site plan. No application for a CUP has yet been submitted, so the ATC does not have a project number.

HECATE GRID

About Hecate Grid
Located in Chicago, Illinois, Hecate Grid is a top-10 North American developer, owner, and operator of utility-scale energy storage projects. Our team’s deep experience in energy and our proven track record is why we’re among the fastest growing energy storage developers in the U.S. Hecate Grid’s current U.S. energy storage pipeline exceeds 6 gigawatts (GW), while Hecate Grid and its affiliates have an overall active development pipeline of over 40 GW of energy storage or renewable energy projects.

Humidor Overview
Per the statement by Hecate Grid on the Humidor BESS Storage website: Humidor BESS is a proposed grid-connected battery energy storage system under development by Hecate Grid. Capable of storing 400-megawatts (MW) of power for four hours, Humidor BESS will improve the flexibility, efficiency, and reliability of California’s electricity system.

Location
Hecate Grid is developing the Humidor BESS Project on approximately 15 acres in unincorporated Antelope Valley of Los Angeles County, California (ATA Clarification: Proposed facility will be located in Acton, CA). The site is conveniently located less than 3,500 feet from an existing Southern California Edison (SCE) substation, allowing for cost-effective interconnection and operation.

Details
The proposed Humidor BESS project will utilize tier 1 equipment that consists of battery storage cabinets, inverters, cabling, transformers and battery management systems that enable 24hr, 7 days a week operations and maintenance.

  • Each container is self-enclosed, containing batteries, controls, HVAC and associated fire detection and suppression systems.
  • The Humidor project is expected to commence construction in 2023 with start of operations in 2025 providing grid reliability, resource adequacy services to SCE and MCE and support a more resilient and reliable electrical grid.
  • The Humidor project is expected to commence construction in 2023 with start of operations in 2025 providing grid reliability, resource adequacy services to SCE and MCE and support a more resilient and reliable electrical grids

Contact Information
For more about Hecate Grid's company and their proposed Humidor (BESS) facility to be located in Acton, please use the following links: