San Diegans Say Yes to Battery Storage—Even in Their Backyards
| Press Releases
New Survey Reveals Strong Local Support for Clean Energy and Battery Projects Across San Diego County
SAN DIEGO, CA, June 24, 2025 – A newly released public opinion survey finds that San Diego County residents overwhelmingly support the clean energy transition—and the battery energy storage projects needed to make it happen. The survey, commissioned by Cleantech San Diego and conducted by Probolsky Research in partnership with (W)right On Communications, polled 856 residents from all five supervisorial districts and has a ±3.5% margin of error.
Key findings include:
- 65% support the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
- 66% support battery storage projects in San Diego County.
- 57% support battery storage projects in their own neighborhoods.
856 San Diego County residents surveyed between 1/31/25-2/13/25; +/-3.5% margin of error.
“This survey clearly shows that San Diegans support battery energy storage systems in their communities,” said Jason Anderson, president and CEO of Cleantech San Diego. “Battery storage infrastructure is not only welcome—it is viewed as essential for a safer, cleaner, and more resilient grid.”
“We polled a large sample size – 856 San Diego County residents – to ensure our survey was truly representative and matched Census data for key demographics and population distribution,” said Adam Probolsky, president of Probolsky Research.
“It is interesting to note that this survey was in the field between Jan. 31 and Feb. 13, 2025,” Probolsky added. “That’s immediately following the LA wildfires and the Moss Landing battery storage system fire. Even with these recent events top of mind, respondents stood behind their support for battery storage projects with an understanding of the key role they play in the transition to clean energy.”
California has had no Flex Alerts since 2022 after doubling its battery storage capacity, despite experiencing the hottest July on record in 2024.
Battery Storage as Critical Infrastructure
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are the unsung hero of grid reliability. They help store low-cost solar power for use when demand peaks—helping avoid Flex Alerts, rolling blackouts, and high energy costs. San Diego County already has over 1 gigawatt of installed battery storage capacity, including nearly 28,000 residential, 400 commercial and 25 utility-scale systems. California recently doubled battery capacity in 2022, and since that time has not issued a single Flex Alert, even during the hottest July on record in 2024.
Public Safety and Environmental Assurance
Modern battery systems are regulated under NFPA 855, the national fire safety standard updated every three years. Comprehensive safety planning, testing, and monitoring are required before any system is permitted. And local testing during recent fire incidents has consistently found no threat to public health.
Fact Sheet and Outreach
Cleantech San Diego is in the process of briefing regional leaders and stakeholders on the public opinion survey results to ensure continued alignment with public sentiment and safety best practices.
A fact sheet distilling the findings of the survey and providing information about the safety and importance of battery energy storage systems in San Diego is available for download.
Download Fact Sheet (pdf)
About Cleantech San Diego
Cleantech San Diego is a member-based business organization founded in 18 years ago that positions the San Diego region as a leader in the cleantech economy by fostering collaborations across the private-public-academic landscape, engaging in advocacy efforts to promote cleantech priorities, supporting energy entrepreneurs through the Southern California Energy Innovation Network, and encouraging more equitable investment across the San Diego region. Stakeholders include more than 135 businesses, universities, governments, and nonprofits committed to advancing sustainable solutions for the benefit of the economy, the environment, and all members of the community. Learn more at cleantechsandiego.org.
Media Contact:
Shannon Bresnahan, Cleantech San Diego, 858-220-5313, shannonb@cleantechsandiego.org
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