SGV residents rally against battery storage hub in City of Industry

Residents across the San Gabriel Valley are mobilizing against a 400-megawatt battery energy storage facility (BESS) approved in January by City of Industry leaders, citing concerns about pollution and the potential for increased industrial development, including data centers. A protest is scheduled in neighboring Rowland Heights, targeting the facility to be run by Aypa Power, a company owned by private equity giant Blackstone, which is a major investor in AI and data centers. Opponents, including the No Data Centers SGV Coalition and the Puente Hills Community Preservation Association, are worried about environmental impacts, such as lithium battery fires, and the broader effect on communities bordering the City of Industry, a municipality predominantly zoned for industrial use with few residents. Activists have challenged the project's approval under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Locals have expressed frustration with the decision-making process by City of Industry officials, alleging that meetings are hard to track and that the city benefits financially from industrial developments without sharing those benefits with surrounding communities that bear the environmental burden. Activists also fear a nearby vacant mall could be redeveloped into a data center, bringing higher utility costs and increased air and noise pollution.