ESCONDIDO — The city has formally adopted San Diego County’s safety guidelines for battery energy storage systems into its fire code, adding new requirements for setbacks, emergency response costs and post-fire investigations nearly two years after imposing a moratorium on new commercial battery storage projects. The City Council voted unanimously July 29 to adopt the guidelines for battery energy storage systems, or BESS, as part of an update to the city’s fire code. The ordinance follows nearly two years of debate in Escondido over the safety of large-scale battery storage facilities. Schumacher also encouraged Escondido to adopt requirements similar to San Marcos’ battery energy storage guidelines and workforce standards, which require C-10 licensed contractors. “I would prefer not to wait for workforce safety standards to come back in six months,” Mayor Dane White said.