One major problem with lithium battery fires is that all the toxic smoke may make people forget how good EVs are for the planet. For instance, referring to a massive EV battery fire at Moss Landing, California, Heatmap agonizes “Is the California Battery Fire an East Palestine Moment?” East Palestine is a town in Ohio where a freight train derailed in 2023 while carrying hazardous materials, triggering a toxic fire that burned for days releasing, among other things, phosgene, a common chemical weapon during the First World War. (We were going to say “popular” but for obvious reasons it wasn’t really.) And for obvious reasons that incident caused an outcry over safety and promises from railroads to mend their ways. But when it’s EV batteries, tush. Even if, say, some activists deliberately ignited Teslas to underline their open-minded compassionate commitment to decency. Or not, because there does seem to be this weird worldwide pushback against such lovely clean energy that burns you up while asphyxiating you.

Indeed, of the Vistra battery plant that apparently ignited itself in Moss Landing south of California on January 16, the Heatmap piece admits that the locals are fretting:

“So why such a profound local revolt? How did California rapidly deploy battery storage only to veer into possibly emboldening local control, which certainly may make residents feel better but would also stall the pace of the energy transition?”

Um they had a huge toxic fire? Yeah. Sort of:

“Moss Landing still feels like a disaster zone. Residents miles away from where the blaze occurred are suffering mysterious illnesses, like random bloody noses and headaches, and medical issues they suspect are related to the fire, such as a random metallic taste. I’ve seen the pictures of skin that looks burned and heard the voices of people who say they no longer have most of their voice after inhaling airborne substances after the event. Locals are routinely posting online about how they’re extremely disappointed with the government’s response, especially state and federal officials, and at the end of the day, no matter the cause, word of such profound and lasting suffering can spread across the internet like, well, a wildfire.”

What rubes:

“The industry also clearly believes opposition is growing because of misunderstandings about how Moss Landing was a singular incident – most battery storage sites are outdoors and use battery chemistries that offer less risk of a ‘thermal runaway’ event, which is the term of art used to describe the uncontrolled fire spread that can occur at a battery storage site.”

In the finest American tradition of civil engagement and environmental activism, people are suing the firm, the local utility (PG&E, already in trouble over 2018 and 2019 wildfires) and the battery maker. And in the words of two Pogo characters, “Just dare to laugh!” “A splendid suggestion. Har har!”

Speaking of which, that Heatmap email was a promo for Heatmap Pro to help firms stickhandle around those wretched granola NIMBYs with “a data platform designed for clean energy developers, investors, and other professionals to measure local political risk for every clean energy project in the U.S., including solar, wind, hydrogen, and battery storage.” Good luck with that mate, especially if you wipe out a fish or ignite a neighbourhood.