ESCONDIDO (KGTV) — Escondido has lifted a moratorium on new commercial battery storage facilities, but some residents and safety advocates say the new rules don't go far enough to protect communities. J-P Theberge, the director of California for Safe Energy Storage, lives in unincorporated Escondido and said he is concerned about people who may live near future battery storage facilities. Under current guidelines, Escondido follows the same standards as the county. "If I were Escondido, I would limit them to industrial zoned areas and create a buffer, create a buffer between battery storage and housing," Theberge said. In a statement, the city of Escondido said it took initiative to listen to the concerns of neighbors after the 2024 fire and those who lived near the Seguro battery storage proposed site.