Vacaville City Council votes NO to Menard Energy!

On Wednesday, January 10th, Vacaville City Council held a special meeting to consider an extension to the ERNA contract with Menard Energy. It was a 7-0 vote to NOT move forward with the project! A big win for Vacaville. To read more check out this article:
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Vacaville Reporter
January 11, 2024

The Vacaville City Council unanimously rejected extending the city’s Exclusive Negotiating Rights Agreement with Menard Energy at a special meeting Wednesday evening.
Menard had proposed to build a lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage System at the former Gibson Canyon Creek wastewater facility owned by the city.
Since a standing-room-only meeting hosted by the city in September to outline details of the facility, public backlash to the proposal and the continuation of the ENRA has crescendoed to a roar. A local group known as Keep Vacaville Safe has spoken at each subsequent city council meeting, citing concerns about fires and fumes that could be caused by the site.
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The meeting opened with a presentation on the ENRA process so far, followed by a presentation from Ampyr Energy, Menard’s parent company. Sarah Dunn of Keep Vacaville Safe then provided a presentation outlining reasons for the council to reject the project.
Director Of Economic Development Services Don Burress and Community Development Director Erin Morris said the company completed many of its due diligence tasks in the 12-month ENRA period, but its community outreach was lacking.
And representatives from the company acknowledged they did not engage the community, as their understanding of an agreement with the city led them to believe this was not necessary.
“We didn’t do any significant community outreach,” Project Director Rob Howe said.
But Howe was quick to point out that extending the ENRA would not have approved the project, only giving the company more time to educate the public. And the message they hoped to convey was that the project was safe, citing safety improvements made over the years to facilities of this kind and outlining his years of experience working in the field.
“We believe we fulfilled all the requirements of the ENRA,” he said.
Tracy Craig, a public affairs strategist, was hired by the firm to share information about the project. Craig said she was hired “When it was pretty clear the community wasn’t liking this project at all.”
Craig said the company was willing to create some space for the parameters of the project to change, but made clear it would not change the location. With the PG&E Vaca-Dixon substation located in the area, she said, demand for these BESS plants to be built will remain high, so the community needs to understand what they are and how they work.
“Whether it is at the Gibson site or elsewhere,” she said, “these type of facilities are coming, so it’s always good to be armed with facts.”
Craig also noted the possibility of a recreation center, local scholarships or other community benefits being added to the deal, but she acknowledged that the business had their “fingers crossed” in the face of public backlash.
“I cannot tell you how much I wish I was up here two years earlier,” she said.
That lack of transparency was the first and most central reason that Dunn for why the facility should not be built. She also cited the safety risk, as multiple sites with similar technology to the one proposed have burned down over the years and as recently as October. Dunn said Keep Vacaville Safe has collected over 1000 in-person signatures and over 3,000 online ones to reject the extension of the ENRA.
“We don’t need another year to learn this is not safe,” she said.
Added Dunn: “One year ago today you entered into this agreement. We are counting on you to end it today.”
Approximately 30 individuals spoke during public comment, largely opposed to the project. The few in favor cited the possibility of construction jobs as a driving indicator for their support.
City Manager Aaron Busch said he had the option to automatically extend the ENRA, but chose not to because of the lack of work done by the company to inform the public about their project. ENRAs, however, are a common tool to work with project developers, he said.
“Honestly,” he said “this is too big of an issue to stay administrative.”
Councilmember Roy Stockton said he knew the ENRA process had been a difficult one for people in his district, and he was thankful that they came together and voiced their concerns. Stockton said while Vacaville could face blackouts and brownouts in the future with increased industrial need, he did not feel comfortable with this project.
“Nothing — nothing — is more important than the health and safety of you and your families, all of you,” he said.
Stockton said he is not opposed to battery technology, but this application of technology at this time was not acceptable to him.
“If it takes 10 to 15 years to do it safely,” Stockton said. “Then I guess we’re going to have to wait 10 to 15 years.”
Councilmember Jason Roberts cited safety concerns as a primary reason for his vote, noting that the chronic bronchitis he suffers from as a result of his military deployment is not something any civilian should have to face due to chemical exposure.
“Even with a 3.8 percent chance of a fire occurring,” he said, “I’m not going to volunteer the community for that.”
Mayor John Carli said he wants the city to explore options in terms of grid resiliency but thinks this was the wrong technology at the wrong time.
“You just can’t put a price on that feeling of safety,” he said.
But a lack of grid resiliency in the long term could come at a price for Vacaville, as PG&E told the city in May that it does not have the power to support some industrial growth, at a time when the city is looking to add jobs. Additionally, ABAG, PG&E and the state government have all moved to prioritize battery storage moving forward.
Dunn said new technology, possibly just a few years away, could be worth the wait. She noted that the council hired a firm at its regular meeting on Tuesday evening to consult with the city on distributed energy projects, and she was glad to see them arming themselves with the knowledge they need moving forward.
“I’m proud of this community,” Dunn said. “People rallied around this cause, mainly, because of safety, We’ve got people from all different walks of life that joined our efforts and basically just tried to keep our community safe.”
2024
January
11
The Vacaville Reporter

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