The American Clean Power Association (ACP), which represents renewable energy companies in the US, has released its comprehensive framework for the safety of battery energy storage systems (BESS).
This has come after several fire incidents involving BESS facilities occurred, most notably at Moss Landing in California earlier this year.
The framework is informed by an assessment conducted by the Fire and Risk Alliance, which claims it found no impact to public health or surrounding communities in the incidents it studied.
The fire at the Vistra-owned facility is seen as an anomaly by the group, although noting the investigation is still ongoing. However, there have been changes to local legislation already, as BEST reported in March 2025.
State and local laws will play a vital role in allowing new BESS facilities to to be built, but the ACP’s framework was designed with the national safety standards of NFPA 855 in mind, it said.
The framework suggests that the state and local governments should work with the safety planning in cooperation with facility operators and the fire service.
Noah Roberts, vice president of energy storage, ACP, said: “At its core, energy storage facilities are critical infrastructure designed to protect people from power outages. Like substations, transformers, and transmission lines, energy storage systems deliver needed power in times when we need it most. Every community across the country should have confidence that the battery storage facilities keeping their lights on and utility bills affordable adhere to the most rigorous safety requirements. This is why we have released the battery storage industry’s comprehensive, actionable blueprint for safety.”
