BESScheck

Battery storage rules: Monterey County, CA

Last checked against primary sources: October 23, 2026

Two battery fires at neighboring sites in the county (an outdoor site in 2022, a legacy indoor plant in January 2025) are learning cases for the whole state. After the 2025 fire the Board proclaimed a local emergency. On Nov 18 2025 it received a report on an urgency moratorium without adopting one, and directed staff to fund a consultant to draft a county BESS ordinance, which is still in development.

Moratorium not adopted; county ordinance in development

On November 18, 2025 the Board received a report on an urgency moratorium on new battery storage and did not adopt one. It directed staff to look for funding for a consultant to draft a county ordinance. The county held a community meeting on March 18, 2026; in April 2026 its ordinance page listed community outreach and a draft under development, with no hearing dates. Ask the county for the current schedule. Monterey County Board of Supervisors, November 18, 2025, item PAR 25-018 (action record); County of Monterey, Battery Energy Storage Systems Ordinance page

Fire and building codes in force

How a project is permitted

No BESS-specific zoning yet: a project needs a discretionary Use Permit (inland, Title 21) or Coastal Development Permit (coastal zone, Title 20) plus CEQA review; in the coastal zone the Coastal Commission and Local Coastal Program also apply. The CEC AB 205 opt-in (≥200 MWh) remains available as the state bypass, and SB 254 (2025) streamlined it. Under SB 283, the county must condition approval on a fire inspection after installation and before operation, at the applicant's cost (PUC §8502).

Sources

Check a specific system

For a proposal or a system you're evaluating, answer a few questions in BESScheck: you get the rules that apply here, a checklist of what to ask, and the sources behind each line.