A battery energy storage system on 4.56 acres of vacant land in Ventura has received city approval.
At a Sept. 14 hearing, Maruja Clensay, the city's interim community development director, approved a planned development permit, major design review and minor variance for the project at 4158 Transport St.
“I’m really encouraged to see these facilities to help address energy needs throughout the city,” she said of the project, which will be built on an empty industrial site.
The 100-megawatt lithium-ion battery energy storage facility will include battery cabinets and related equipment, said Valerie Darbouze, principal planner in the city’s community development department.
The facility will support energy storage and distribution through an off-site
Southern California Edison San Miguel substation, she said. About 600 feet of underground connection infrastructure will be installed between the two sites, she said.
The facility would charge 156 lithium-ion batteries in 78 cabinets as a first phase, according to the staff report. An additional 36 batteries in 18 cabinets would be charged over the expansion period when demand is low and discharged when demand is high.
The applicant is Savion Energy on behalf of Ventura Reliability Project, LLC, according to the report.
The proposed Ventura energy storage project is in the midstage of development and no dates have been set for groundbreaking, construction or commercial operation, said Chris Powers, Savion’s senior director of land stewardship, in an email.
“The location was selected for its suitable land and infrastructure, proximity to energy demand, potential to enhance grid reliability and available capacity within the Southern California Edison system to support the project,” he said.
The enclosed facility will be surrounded by an 8-foot fence, requiring a minor variance from the city’s 6-foot height limit, according to the report. The fence is intended to protect the property, screen equipment from public view and help reduce noise from the battery enclosure cooling system.
The project will be unmanned and monitored remotely, according to the report. No one spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting.
After the meeting, Ventura Fire Department Marshal Brett Reed said the department believed the project’s safety measures were adequately addressed through maintenance requirements, hazardous materials and business plans, as well as requirements for an additional water supply and fire department access.
“We did not see any immediate cause for concern,” he said.
No additional hearings are planned because the community development department director is the decision-making authority for the project approvals, Darbouze said in an email after the meeting.
Other similar projects are also located in Ventura County.
Ventura County approved a similar energy storage project in 2024 on Gonzales Road, about a half-mile west of Oxnard, Darbouze said.
In March, the Newport Beach-based esVolta held a grant opening for its Black Walnut battery energy storage project at 211 N. 12th St. in Santa Paula. The Santa Paula Battery Energy Storage Project is located nearby, across the railroad tracks.
Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Battery energy storage facility approved on 4.5-acre Ventura site
