Wire · technology
CESA's Scott Murtishaw on safety, misinformation, and California's BESS milestones
◆ Sectors
◆ Geography
◆ Source
◆ Verified
Fusion42 · 25 August 2026 · Fusion42 review
Scott Murtishaw, executive director at the California Energy Storage Alliance, highlights that the biggest barrier to battery energy storage system (BESS) adoption in California is local opposition driven by safety misunderstandings. California's containerised BESS projects have proven to be remarkably safe, with fire incidents rarely spreading beyond a single container, contrasting with riskier indoor configurations that caused notable fires.
This Wire brief sits within Fusion42's coverage of Clean Energy.
◆ ◆ The Wire takeaway
You face a public safety perception gap on battery storage that threatens project approvals. Clarify the effective safety record of containerised systems now to open doors for faster local greenlight and avoid costly delays.
◆ Coverage
1 source · 24 Aug 2026
◆ Related on Wire
◆ Topics