Vistra and public agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, are actively monitoring air quality. We are working cooperatively to ensure public health and safety, which is our top priority. Ongoing air monitoring has not detected anything hazardous. Vistra will update this site if monitoring results change.   

Vistra began initial air monitoring at the site at approximately 4 p.m. Pacific time on Jan. 16 when the fire was first detected. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency arrived on site at approximately 2 a.m. Pacific time on Jan. 17 and began their testing. A leading independent environmental firm, CTEH, arrived at 5 a.m. on Jan. 17 and has been conducting extensive air quality monitoring in and around the Moss Landing community as part of ongoing response efforts. 

For the latest air quality monitoring reports, visit the County of Monterey emergency website.

See the EPA’s press release here.

Yes. The Marina Coast Water District communicated with residents: "Our Water Supply Remains Safe."

Additionally, based on data collected by EPA and the third-party consultant CTEH, no hazardous substances were found in the air during the event, and there was no harm to the public. As noted in modeling performed by EPA, any Hydrogen Fluoride that would have been discharged was consumed in the fire.  

All firefighting water is contained in closed sumps on the property and will be tested prior to disposal.  

Moss Landing is our home, and we’re committed to working closely with our community partners and local officials to determine how we can best help. 

We have chosen to partner with the Community Foundation for Monterey County and its partners to administer an assistance program that will support households who were impacted by the January 17 incident. We’re grateful for the Foundation’s partnership. 

This initial assistance program is limited to households within the evacuation. More information will be provided in the coming days. Watch this page for more information.

A separate, application-based program will be established for businesses that have been impacted, and we will soon provide details on our website with further information about qualifications and how to apply. 

On Thursday, Jan. 16, we detected a fire at our Moss 300-MW energy storage facility at the Moss Landing Power Plant Site. Company personnel immediately responded, and the North Monterey County Fire District was quickly dispatched to the scene. We worked closely with the Fire District to provide as much support as possible, and we’re immensely grateful for their swift response to this event.   

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but an investigation will begin promptly. 

Vistra’s priorities moving forward are safely removing the remaining batteries from the building when conditions permit. The company has retained a structural engineering firm to advise with this work and planning is currently underway. We have begun our investigation and retained multiple outside experts to assist, and we are prepared to cooperate with any local or state investigations as well. Representatives of LG Chem, the manufacturer of the batteries used at Moss Landing 300, are also on location, and we are sharing information.

No. We experienced two overheating events, one in 2021 and one in 2022, caused by a malfunction in the facility’s fire suppression system, where a release of water caused electrical shorting and overheating on a portion of our batteries. These events were controlled and had no impact on the general public. See more information here.