Current Activities: We have begun to remove and process the remaining intact batteries located in the damaged portions of the Moss 300 building. This work includes ongoing demolition of the Moss 300 building to ensure worker safety. Members of the community can expect to see increased activity around the site as this work gets underway.
Batteries will continue to be recycled where possible, and debris will be sampled to identify proper disposal at U.S. EPA-approved facilities. Representatives from the U.S. EPA are on-site and continue to oversee recovery operations.
Battery Removal: More than 39,000 intact battery modules have been removed, de-energized, and shipped to approved facilities.
Next Steps: We expect to complete the removal process for intact batteries in the damaged portion of the building in late 2026.
RECOVERY PROGRESS
Site Status
September 19 - 3:30 p.m.
Conditions on site remain stable, with no fire or smoke observed since Friday afternoon. Temperature readings in the area where the flare-up occurred have continued to decrease overnight and throughout Saturday morning. Air quality monitors continue to show normal conditions in and around the site and have throughout the incident. In coordination with the North County Fire Protection District, fire response operations were concluded, and the natural gas plant resumed normal operations on Friday evening.
Vistra and third-party fire personnel remain onsite 24/7 and will continue to actively monitor site conditions, working in conjunction with U.S. EPA, the NCFPD, and Monterey County. The safety of our employees and our neighboring communities remains our top priority. We will provide additional updates as they become available.
September 18 - 4:30 p.m. (statistics updated on Sept. 19)
County officials report that the fire is inactive at this time. North County Fire Protection District and a private fire response crew remain on site to monitor the situation.
Air quality monitors are active along the site perimeter and in the surrounding community. U.S. EPA and MBARD report that air quality readings remain within normal ranges. Monterey Bay Air Resources District similarly reported no monitoring results indicating a significant air-quality or exposure concern.
Currently, less than 5% of the intact batteries remain on site. Of the 100,000 original batteries, 56,000 are believed to have burned in the January 2025 fire. Vistra has worked under the oversight of the U.S. EPA to safely remove approximately 39,000 of the remaining batteries which have been de-energized and transported offsite for disposal. Approximately 2,500 modules remained inside the Moss Landing 300 building, and we believe approximately 1,200 ignited in yesterday’s event. These modules were not yet de-energized because they are located in a portion of the building that has not been safely accessible due to structural damage from the January 2025 fire.
Vistra will continue working closely with responding agencies and will provide additional updates as more information becomes available.
September 18 - 7:45 a.m.
At approximately 6 a.m. PST on Sept. 18, Vistra personnel identified a flare-up along the north wall of the Moss Landing 300 building. Response crews and North County Fire Protection District are on site actively addressing and monitoring the situation as appropriate. No injuries have been reported. Air quality monitors are active along the site’s perimeter and in the surrounding community, and, out of an abundance of caution, the natural gas plant located onsite has been temporarily shut down. We will continue to provide updates as this situation develops.
INCIDENT OVERVIEW
On Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, a battery fire occurred at the 300MW battery energy storage facility (Moss 300) at Vistra’s Moss Landing site in Monterey County, California. Company personnel immediately responded, and the North County Fire Protection District was dispatched to the scene. The fire was contained to the Moss 300 building and did not spread to any of the other energy storage facilities or the natural gas plant located on site.
Multiple agencies and organizations have monitored local air, water, and soil. To date, no risks to public health have been observed.
Air quality monitoring and sampling during and after the incident found no hazardous air conditions or risks to public health. These findings have been confirmed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Monterey Bay Air Resources District. More information on environmental testing is available here.
Approximately 1,200 nearby residents were evacuated for 24 hours as a precaution. To assist these residents, Vistra established a community assistance program to offset any evacuation expenses. Vistra also established a business claims program for businesses located in the evacuation zone or operating at or out of Moss Landing Harbor to file a claim for financial assistance.
INVESTIGATION PROGRESS
The cause of the January 16 battery fire remains unknown, and suggestions as to its cause or contributing factors are speculation. We are currently conducting a thorough, methodical investigation into the cause and have retained multiple outside experts who are assisting in this effort. The ongoing cleanup and recovery efforts will also advance the investigation, as we will gain additional access to damaged portions of the building.
Investigations like these take time, and we ask for your patience as our teams examine a myriad of data points to understand what happened. In the coming weeks and months, we will continue to be transparent with local officials, regulatory agencies, and the public on the next steps for the Moss Landing battery facilities and the findings of our investigation.
Latest Environmental Testing
Terraphase Engineering Inc. prepared a Characterization and Screening-Level Risk Evaluation Report to assess the potential human health and environmental impacts of the January 2025 fire at the ML300 building at the Moss Landing Power Plant.
A summary of all environmental analysis conducted thus far can be found here.