Get Involved

SUBMIT YOUR OPPOSITION COMMENT TO THE CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION (CEC)

Making a difference starts with action. Here’s how you can join us in protecting our community and ensuring our voices are heard.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD – YOUR VOICE MATTERS!

Make your voice heard and join the fight to protect our community. There are several ways you can take action to oppose the proposed BESS project:

1. SUBMIT YOUR OPPOSITION COMMENT ONLINE TO THE CEC

WRITE AN OPPOSITION STATEMENT TO THE CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION.

Scroll down for a letter template and directions on how to upload your comment.

SUBMIT NOW

On 7 May 2026, New Leaf Energy withdrew their permitting application for their proposed 200 MW grid-scale BESS at 90 Minto Road from the County of Santa Cruz.
On 27 May 2026, New Leaf Energy submitted their application materials to the California Energy Commission's AB 205 Opt-in Certification Program.
The CEC is now the sole permitting and CEQA review agency for the project.
On 8 June 2026, the CEC officially accepted the submitted materials.
We are currently in a legally mandated 30-day window during which the CEC must determine whether these application materials are complete. If they are not, the CEC will issue a request for the missing materials to New Leaf Energy.
New Leaf Energy will have a legally mandated 30-day window to provide these missing materials.
This process will repeat until all of the materials required have been submitted.
At this point, the CEC will deem the application complete.
On that day, the 270-day CEQA environmental review time frame begins.
The CEC is legally mandated to hold a hybrid in-person/online scoping meeting within 30 days of the application being deemed complete. It can be held any time during those 30 days.
Comments at the scoping meeting from the public and local agencies are strongly encouraged by the CEC.
The scoping meeting is a key opportunity for the public to highlight the critical areas and issues that the CEQA environmental review needs to address.
We have begun to submit these comments in advance. Many comments are already submitted.
Comments can be submitted at any time before or during the 270-day CEQA review.

PLEASE JOIN US!

The CEC accepts written public comments as part of its review process. Clear, thoughtful comments that explain factually why an issue matters to you personally can help inform the Commission's decision. Community impacts substantiated by evidence are an important part of the record. See instructions at the end.

Please consider using the following TEMPLATE for your OPPOSITION COMMENT:

Directions for uploading comments to the California Energy Commission Docket

Date

Eric Veerkamp, Project Manager

California Energy Commission

715 P Street, MS-40

Sacramento, CA 95814

Subject: Opposition to the Proposed Seahawk Battery Energy Storage System Project (26-0PT-02)

Reference: AB-205 Application Submitted for a Proposed Battery Energy Storage Project in Santa Cruz County, CA.

Docket Number 26-OPT-02.

Dear Mr. Veerkamp:

My name is and I am a resident of . I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed siting of the Seahawk Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Project in Watsonville.

I am respectfully asking the California Energy Commission to deny this project based on the following concerns:

1. Unacceptable Public Safety Risks

The facility's proximity to residential areas raises significant public safety concerns. If a fire, explosion, or toxic fume release from lithium-ion battery fires were to occur, residents would be at risk. These thermal runaway fires are notoriously difficult to extinguish and can release dangerous chemicals, including highly toxic hydrogen fluoride and carcinogenic combusted materials hazardous to public health.

2. Agricultural Impacts

Construcing the facility on or near prime agricultural lands would lead to a potentially permanent devastation of one of Santa Cruz County’s most important economic resources. Even though the Seahawk project proposes lithium-based LFP battery types, there remains a substantial risk of fire and thermal runaway events. This level of risk is unacceptable for agricultural land that is both valuable and irreplaceable to the county’s economy.

3. Environmental Impacts

There is a clear risk of contamination to College Lake, which is just a few hundred feet downhill from the proposed BESS. The Pajaro Valley Water Agency recently completed an $80 million water project at College Lake to supply agricultural irrigation water and reduce groundwater pumping, which helps prevent saltwater intrusion into coastal agricultural wells. Contamination of this vital water resource would harm the local agricultural economy and threaten groundwater systems and local wells.

In addition, College Lake is part of a natural riparian and wetlands system in Watsonville, serving as a critical habitat and resting area for migratory waterfowl along the Pacific Flyway.

4. Transportations Impacts

The project is situated near densely populated residential neighborhoods, with access limited to two-lane roads. In the event of an emergency, these roads would quickly become congested, posing a significant risk to emergency responders, residents, schools, and daycare facilities during evacuation scenarios.

5. Strain on Community Resources

A fire at the proposed facility could place an overwhelming strain on local emergency services and water resources. Additionally, the community could face increased costs for specialized equipment, emergency training, and environmental remediation after a fire, with these costs likely passed on to taxpayers.

6. Development Zoning Violations

By taking advantage of the AB205 opt-in program, the project applicant is attempting to bypass local authority and disregard zoning laws created to protect the community. This approach leads to industrial development on protected agricultural lands, placing projects in areas never intended for such use. As a result, it undermines the local General Plan and puts the county’s premier economic contributor at risk.

The California Energy Commission should deny the Seahawk Project permit, regardless of its proximity to the Green Valley Substation.

Conclusion:

Please deny this project and any other proposed lithium-ion BESS facilities for Watsonville and Santa Cruz County. The significant risks to public safety, agriculture, the environment, transportation, and community resources, as well as the lack of clear community benefits and the developer’s efforts to circumvent local government oversight, far outweigh any potential financial incentives for the developer. The health, safety, environment, and agricultural legacy of Santa Cruz County, as well as the voices of residents, must come first.

Sincerely,

WE URGE YOU TO PLEASE SPEAK and/or WRITE ABOUT THE FOLLOWING CRITICAL ISSUES –

10 REASONS THE CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION (CEC) SHOULD CAREFULLY REVIEW

THE 90 MINTO ROAD (SEAHAWK) BESS PROJECT and DENY IT

YOUR VOICE MATTERS

1. Agricultural Land & Measure J

The project would convert productive agricultural land into a large industrial BESS facility. Santa Cruz County voters adopted Measure J to preserve farmland and limit unnecessary conversion to non-agricultural uses. Many residents believe a privately owned, industrial battery energy storage facility is inconsistent with the purpose and intent of Measure J. A voter adopted measure like Measure J is the highest legal authority in the state of California and cannot be changed except by a vote of the people.

2. Fire, Explosion & Toxic Smoke

The project proposes 266 lithium battery containers. Lithium batteries can experience thermal runaway, resulting in fires that may burn for extended periods and require specialized emergency response. Battery fires can release hazardous gases including deadly hydrogen fluoride (HF), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen, and other hazardous combustion products depending on the fire conditions.

3. Sensitive Receptors & Environmental Justice

The proposed project is located near homes, schools, parks, farms, and disadvantaged communities. 19 K-12 schools are within a 2-mile evacuation radius, the distance used historically during previous containerized thermal runaway fires. Residents believe public health, environmental protection, and quality of life deserve careful consideration.

4. Emergency Response & Evacuation

A large BESS emergency could affect surrounding neighborhoods, roads, and emergency operations. The Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, located 1.5 miles from 90 Minto Road, serves as an evacuation center for both people and animals during disasters. Residents believe emergency planning should evaluate whether that role could be affected.

5. Water, Soil & Food Production

The project is located near active farms and waterways. Residents are concerned about protecting groundwater, irrigation water, soil, crops, livestock, and long-term food production. Firefighting runoff from a battery fire should also be evaluated for potential environmental impacts.

6. Wildlife & Natural Resources

The project is located near active farmland, waterways, and sensitive natural resources. Residents are concerned about protecting wildlife habitat, wetlands, native species, pollinators, and surrounding ecosystems. Construction, operation, emergency incidents, and long-term maintenance should all be carefully evaluated to ensure these natural resources are protected.

7. Noise & Electromagnetic Fields (EMF)

Large BESS facilities include transformers, inverters, cooling systems, and high-voltage electrical equipment that can generate continuous operational noise and electromagnetic fields. Nearby homes and farms deserve careful evaluation of these potential impacts.

8. Independent Scientific Review

Many technical reports were prepared by consultants hired by the project applicant. Independent review helps ensure agricultural, environmental, engineering, and public safety issues receive objective evaluation.

9. Long-Term Responsibility

Battery facilities may operate for decades. Monitoring, maintenance, battery replacement, emergency response, cleanup, recycling, and decommissioning responsibilities should be clearly established before approval.

10. A Decision That Will Last for Generations

Approval of this project could influence future decisions about placing large industrial BESS facilities and other large commercial/industrial facilities like data centers on agricultural land throughout Santa Cruz County. Many residents believe this decision deserves the highest level of environmental review and public participation.

SUBMIT NOW