When the Community Said No: Three Years of Civic Advocacy in San Juan Capistrano

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In 2022, a developer proposed building a 250 MW lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on 15 to 22 acres of land at the entrance to San Juan Capistrano, bordered by residential neighborhoods in both San Juan Capistrano and Laguna Niguel. The site housed a local volunteer-run farm that had provided over 150 tons of free produce to families in need since 2018. The farm would have been displaced entirely.

The San Juan Capistrano City Council denied the application. The developer announced they would bypass the city and appeal directly to the State of California. That's when the community mobilized, and when I got involved.

Applying Professional Expertise to a Civic Problem

My background is in government consulting, working with agencies like NASA, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Federal Highway Administration on risk assessment, public policy analysis, and stakeholder engagement. I brought that same rigor to this issue. I conducted an independent project impact study and authored a detailed report covering the safety, environmental, fiscal, and community concerns tied to placing a large-scale industrial battery facility next to residential communities.

The findings were serious. The concerns were real. And the community deserved to have them clearly communicated to decision-makers.

Why This Site Was the Wrong Choice

The proposed location sits in a Moderate to High fire risk zone per the Orange County Fire Authority. Lithium-ion batteries are prone to thermal runaway, an uncontrolled chain reaction that produces extreme heat, flammable gases, and the potential for explosion. The BESS Fire Event Database had recorded 68 incidents globally since 2011, with 11 in 2023 alone. A utility-scale BESS carries exponentially greater risk than any consumer battery.

Beyond fire, the site borders Oso Creek, which flows into Doheny State Beach and Dana Point Harbor. A chemical leak would introduce toxic, non-degrading compounds into a watershed that runs through multiple municipalities and a protected coastal estuary. The land itself is a designated natural habitat, home to the endangered Steelhead Trout and dozens of other protected species. It also sits within a culturally sensitive archaeological zone, with 43 prehistoric sites documented within city limits.

This was not an appropriate location for a project of this scale.

Watch: CEC Public Testimony

Three Years of Showing Up

Over the course of the campaign, I delivered public testimony at more than 15 forums, including:

• Three San Juan Capistrano City Council meetings
• An Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting
• Two South Orange County Community College District board meetings
• Two California Energy Commission proceedings

I also organized and keynoted seven community forums across San Juan Capistrano and Laguna Niguel, helping residents understand the proposal and engage constructively in the public process. I submitted formal written comments to the California Energy Commission and briefly served as a founding board member of BLESSIN, a nonprofit formed to support structured community advocacy around responsible development and public safety.

The goal was never to stop energy infrastructure. It was to ask one question: Is this the right place for this project?

What Changed

After three years, the sustained civic effort produced real outcomes:

• San Juan Capistrano enacted a moratorium on BESS projects pending further safety review.
• The South Orange County Community College District reversed its support for the project.
• Orange County began exploring similar protective measures at the regional level.
• ENGIE (the project developer) withdrew its application entirely.

The farm is still there. The creek still flows. The trails are still open.

What This Reinforced

Civic advocacy is stakeholder engagement. You identify the decision-makers, understand their constraints, build a well-documented case, and show up consistently until it lands. The skills I use in federal consulting translate directly: clear communication, rigorous research, and a willingness to stay in the room.

Progress and thoughtful planning are not opposites. Responsible development means ensuring that innovation moves forward in ways that actually protect the communities it is meant to serve. Sometimes the most powerful thing a community can do is ask the right question, loudly, and refuse to stop asking it.

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