Monterey County authorities issued evacuation orders Thursday night after a fire broke out at a battery storage facility along the Central Coast that the company claims is the largest in the world.
Vistra Energy, which owns the natural gas-fueled Moss Landing Power Plant and adjoining lithium-ion battery facility on the Monterey County coast, confirmed in an email a fire had broken out in one of its battery facilities Thursday afternoon and that it had evacuated on-site personnel.
“The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but an investigation will begin once the fire is extinguished,” said spokesperson Jenny Lyon.
The Monterey County Sheriff had earlier told nearby residents to close windows “out of an abundance of caution.” The California Highway Patrol also closed Highway 1 around the plant.