Los Angeles’ utility filed a CEQA exemption for a long-duration battery at its Beacon Switchyard in eastern Kern County. Here is what it is, what the site has hosted before, and what it means for East Kern land and contractors.
The LADWP Beacon flow battery is a planned 50-megawatt, 5-hour vanadium battery on about 12.15 acres of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power land north of Mojave in eastern Kern County, California. Formally the Beacon Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Project, it filed a CEQA exemption on Sept. 9, 2026. Construction is expected to begin in early 2027.
Key takeaways
- The State Clearinghouse received LADWP’s Notice of Exemption for the project (SCH 2026090325) on Sept. 9, 2026, citing categorical exemptions in Classes 1, 2, 3 and 11.
- The plant is a 50 MW standalone vanadium redox flow battery with 5 hours of discharge, or roughly 250 megawatt-hours by our arithmetic. It would use about 312 modular containers on a 12.15-acre footprint plus a 5-acre temporary laydown area.
- LADWP says construction is anticipated to begin in early 2027. The filing names no supplier, cost or in-service date.
- This is the second long-duration storage filing at Beacon. A January 2021 exemption for an up to 50 MW, up to 10-hour liquid air pilot was later withdrawn.
- LADWP’s LA100 report card shows 41% renewable energy in 2024 against plan targets of 80% by 2030 and 100% by 2035, with 1,629 MW of storage already operating.
Beacon LDES at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Project | Beacon Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Project |
| Location | LADWP-owned property next to the Beacon 230-kV Switchyard, off Highway 14 north of Mojave, eastern Kern County (state filing coordinates 35°15’28.6″N, 118°1’0.8″W) |
| Owner and lead agency | Los Angeles Department of Water and Power |
| Jurisdiction | LADWP is the CEQA lead agency; Notice of Exemption filed with the State Clearinghouse |
| Case numbers | SCH 2026090325 |
| Size | 50 MW, 5-hour discharge (about 250 MWh); about 312 containers; 12.15-acre footprint plus 5-acre temporary laydown |
| Use | Standalone vanadium redox flow battery, substation expansion, switchyard interconnection upgrades, eight 34.5-kV tie-line poles and one 12-kV pole |
| Status | Notice of Exemption received Sept. 9, 2026 (Classes 1, 2, 3 and 11) |
| Next step | Construction anticipated to begin in early 2027; supplier, cost and in-service date not disclosed |
What is the LADWP Beacon flow battery?
It is a 50-megawatt (MW) standalone vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) with a 5-hour discharge, according to the state CEQA record. LADWP says the facility is meant “to enhance grid reliability and support renewable energy integration.” At full output for five hours, that works out to about 250 megawatt-hours (MWh) of stored energy.
The project sits on LADWP-owned property next to the utility’s existing Beacon 230-kilovolt (kV) Switchyard. Construction would occur within an approximately 12.15-acre footprint, with a temporary 5-acre laydown area restored afterward.
What gets built
The filing lists the main components and quantities:
- About 312 modular battery containers
- Associated electrical infrastructure, a substation expansion and interconnection upgrades to the existing switchyard
- About 4,500 linear feet of underground conduit and about 75,000 square feet of concrete foundations
- Eight new 34.5-kV tie-line poles and one new 12-kV interconnection pole
Why does the Beacon battery have no EIR?
LADWP filed a Notice of Exemption, which the State Clearinghouse received on Sept. 9, 2026. It cites four categorical exemptions, Classes 1, 2, 3 and 11 (CEQA Guidelines Sections 15301, 15302, 15303 and 15311). The signed notice, dated Aug. 18, 2026, says they cover “the operation, repair, maintenance, replacement, reconstruction, and construction of existing and new small facilities, structures, equipment, and accessory structures.”
Categorical exemptions cover classes of projects the state has found do not normally have significant environmental effects. That means no draft EIR and no public comment period. Filing the notice generally shortens the time to challenge the exemption in court to 35 days under Public Resources Code section 21167(d). Counting from the Sept. 9 State Clearinghouse date, that window would close around Oct. 14, 2026, though the Kern County Clerk’s posting date may differ. Our CEQA entitlement guide explains how exemptions fit into land approvals.
Where is the Beacon site, and what was there before?
The state filing lists the city as Mojave. PV Tech placed the Beacon site about 14 miles north of Mojave along Highway 14 in 2014, and the battery’s filed coordinates fall roughly 9 miles north of California City by our straight-line measurement.
From solar thermal plan to a 250 MW solar plant
Beacon began as a NextEra Energy proposal for a parabolic trough solar thermal plant, according to Wikipedia’s project history. LADWP bought the land from NextEra in December 2012 for a reported $31.5 million, PV Tech reported. Kern County then reviewed a switch to photovoltaics and filed a notice of determination in June 2014 for a 250 MW, five-array solar plant on about 2,302 acres.
The Beacon Solar Plant produces 250 MW from 903,434 panels and was fully energized in December 2017, LADWP’s Intake newsletter reported in December 2018.
Batteries and a withdrawn liquid air pilot
Storage is not new here. In August 2017, LADWP’s board approved an agreement with Doosan GridTech CA, LLC to build a 20 MW lithium-ion battery at Beacon, LADWP said at the time.
LADWP has also tried long-duration storage at Beacon before. In January 2021 it filed an exemption for the Beacon Liquified Air Energy Storage Project, a pilot of up to 50 MW with “a discharge of up to 10 hours” on 4.5 acres near Highway 14 and Beacon Access Road. The state record now lists that filing as withdrawn by LADWP.
Why Beacon: the Barren Ridge transmission link
The real asset is the wire. LADWP completed the $300 million Barren Ridge Renewable Transmission Project in September 2016, adding 62 miles of double-circuit 230-kV line to carry about 1,000 MW of wind and solar. That includes Beacon’s 250 MW, the Springbok 1 and 2 solar projects and the Pine Tree wind and solar facility.
A follow-on LADWP project replaces 51 miles of line and 243 towers between the Barren Ridge Switching Station and Haskell Canyon near Santa Clarita, to increase transmission capacity for renewable energy from the Tehachapi Mountain and Mojave Desert areas. LADWP scheduled that work to start in December 2023.
Who is behind the Beacon Long Duration Energy Storage project?
The owner and lead agency is the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the City of Los Angeles’ municipal utility.
The battery arrives as LADWP works toward its LA100 clean energy plan. Its LA100 report card shows 41% renewable energy (RPS) in 2024 against plan targets of 80% by 2030 and 100% by 2035. It also says 1,629 MW of energy storage already operates on the system.
The signed Notice of Exemption names no battery manufacturer, cost or funding source. The California Energy Commission’s LDES program page lists no LADWP award.
Why long-duration storage, and why a flow battery?
California passed 21,000 megawatts of battery resources in August 2026, according to the California Energy Commission. Beacon would test a longer-lasting, non-lithium chemistry on LADWP’s own grid. At 250 MWh, it is small beside private Kern projects such as Terra-Gen’s Galaxy Solar, approved for 600 MW of solar plus 4 gigawatt-hours of storage, or the 1,150 MW lithium-ion Euismod Energy Storage Project near Rosamond.
Flow batteries keep their energy in liquid electrolyte held in tanks. A September 2024 Pacific Northwest National Laboratory assessment for the U.S. Department of Energy said, “Water-based electrolytes offer non-combustibility and no potential for thermal runaway, providing reduced safety risks relative to Li-ion technologies.” It cited projected system lifespans of 20 years or more, and it also flagged higher installed cost and lower round-trip efficiency than lithium-ion.
Safety is a live issue. In September 2026, still-charged battery modules ignited in the burned remains of the Moss Landing storage facility, CalMatters reported. State policy is also pushing longer durations. In August 2024 the California Public Utilities Commission approved a centralized procurement plan that includes up to 2 GW of long-duration storage, half with at least 12 hours of duration and half multi-day, for delivery from 2031 to 2037. Our battery storage regulations guide covers the state rules.
East Kern already has another vanadium flow battery planned. The CEC’s $14 million grant to Pacific Steel Group’s Mojave mill funds a 4 MW, 32 MWh vanadium flow system, per the LDES program page.
What does the Beacon flow battery mean for East Kern commercial real estate?
Beacon adds no leasable space and no new land deal. LADWP is building on land it already owns, beside a switchyard it already runs. For East Kern owners, the lesson is that transmission access, not acreage, is the scarce input, and new projects keep stacking up where the wires already are. Our guide to utility energization timelines and our industrial power guide show how that plays out for users.
A national brokerage release made the same point nationally on Feb. 26, 2026. It said grid connection timelines for large new loads average five years in major data center markets and that battery storage costs fell 75% between 2015 and 2025, to $108 per kilowatt-hour.
The near-term effect is construction demand. Pouring 75,000 square feet of foundations and setting 312 containers takes concrete, electrical and crane contractors, yards and lodging. That work would overlap with Galaxy Solar, where PV Tech reported construction employment peaking near 650, and Discovery Solar, where 23ABC reported an average of 470 workers a day.
Published brokerage data does not reach this far east. A national brokerage’s Q2 2026 Bakersfield industrial report put availability at 10.1% with average asking rent of $0.71 per square foot per month, triple net. A regional brokerage’s Q2 2026 market report measured vacancy at 9.55% on a different inventory base. Neither breaks out Mojave or California City, where small yard and flex space is the more relevant product. Our market report guide explains why the two figures differ.
Where demand could show up near Mojave and California City
- Contractor yards: Beacon’s 5-acre laydown plus Galaxy and Discovery crews point to short-term demand for fenced yards and equipment storage along Highways 14 and 58.
- Lodging and services: construction crews need rooms, food and fuel in Mojave, California City and Rosamond.
- Substation-adjacent land: LADWP’s second long-duration storage filing at Beacon in five years shows how much value sits near existing switchyards.
- Few permanent jobs: storage plants run with small staffs, so lasting demand comes from service contractors, not a large payroll.
Were there concerns or opposition?
The state CEQA record for the Beacon LDES filing shows no public opposition or comment letters. Because the project was handled with a categorical exemption, there was no draft environmental document for agencies or neighbors to comment on.
What happens next for the Beacon Long Duration Energy Storage project?
LADWP anticipates starting construction in early 2027, and no in-service date has been disclosed.
- CEQA challenge period: the window to challenge the exemption is generally 35 days from filing, which points to mid-October 2026.
- Procurement: a Board of Water and Power Commissioners supply or construction contract would name the flow battery vendor and cost.
- Construction: early 2027 is the stated start.
Frequently asked questions
What is the LADWP Beacon flow battery?
It is the Beacon Long Duration Energy Storage Project, a planned 50-megawatt vanadium redox flow battery with a 5-hour discharge. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power would build it from about 312 containers on roughly 12.15 acres beside its Beacon 230-kV Switchyard. LADWP filed a CEQA Notice of Exemption on Sept. 9, 2026.
Where is the Beacon Long Duration Energy Storage project?
It is on LADWP-owned land next to the Beacon Switchyard in eastern Kern County, California. State records list the city as Mojave. PV Tech has placed the wider Beacon site about 14 miles north of Mojave along Highway 14.
How much energy will the Beacon battery store?
The filing gives 50 megawatts of capacity and a 5-hour duration. Multiplying the two gives about 250 megawatt-hours, our own arithmetic rather than a figure in the filing. That is small next to Galaxy Solar’s planned 4 gigawatt-hours.
How is a vanadium flow battery different from a lithium-ion battery?
A vanadium flow battery holds its energy in liquid electrolyte in tanks instead of sealed cells. A 2024 Pacific Northwest National Laboratory assessment said the water-based electrolyte cannot burn and has no thermal runaway risk. The same report noted higher installed cost and lower round-trip efficiency than lithium-ion.
Why didn’t the Beacon battery need an environmental impact report?
LADWP, acting as lead agency, found the project categorically exempt under CEQA Classes 1, 2, 3 and 11. Those classes cover construction and replacement of small facilities and equipment. The state treats such projects as unlikely to have significant effects, so no EIR or comment period was required.
When will construction start on the Beacon flow battery?
LADWP’s filing says construction is anticipated to begin in early 2027. The utility has not disclosed a supplier, contract cost or in-service date in its filing. A board contract approval would be the next public signal.
Does the Beacon project affect property near Mojave and California City?
It adds no leasable buildings and uses land LADWP already owns. The local effect is mainly construction demand for contractor yards, equipment storage and lodging, overlapping with large solar builds. Longer term, it reinforces that East Kern energy investment clusters near existing switchyards.
Need contractor yard space near Mojave or California City, or own land near East Kern transmission and want to know what it is worth? Call Kern CRE at 855-KERN-CRE (855-537-6273) or contact us. Get Kern County CRE news monthly: subscribe to the Kern CRE report.
Sources
- Beacon Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES), Notice of Exemption, SCH 2026090325, CEQAnet (Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation), received Sept. 9, 2026.
- Beacon LDES Notice of Exemption document page, CEQAnet, Sept. 9, 2026.
- Notice of Exemption, Beacon Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Project (signed PDF), Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, signed Aug. 18, 2026, attached to the CEQAnet record.
- Beacon Liquified Air Energy Storage Project, Notice of Exemption (withdrawn), SCH 2021010343, CEQAnet, received Jan. 28, 2021.
- LA100 Bi-Annual Report Card, October 2025, Los Angeles City Clerk, council file 21-0352, filed July 22, 2026.
- Beacon of Light: Solar Plant Shines in Mojave Desert While First Grid-Scale Battery Gets Connected, LADWP Intake, Dec. 5, 2018.
- LADWP Fast-Tracks First Utility-Scale Solar Battery, LADWP News, Aug. 16, 2017.
- Corrected: Barren Ridge Project Brings Renewable Energy Home, LADWP News, Sept. 29, 2016.
- Barren Ridge-Haskell Line 1 Upgrade Project, LADWP.
- Work set to begin on LA’s 250MW Beacon Solar project, PV Tech, July 23, 2014.
- Beacon Photovoltaic Solar Project, Notice of Determination, SCH 2012011029, CEQAnet (Kern County lead agency), received June 3, 2014.
- Beacon Solar Project, Wikipedia.
- Adoption Readiness Level Assessment of Redox Flow Batteries (PNNL-36780), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and U.S. DOE Office of Technology Transitions, September 2024.
- Long Duration Energy Storage Program, California Energy Commission.
- California surpasses 21,000 megawatts of battery resources supporting the state’s electric grid, California Energy Commission, August 2026.
- California targets up to 2 GW of long-duration storage as part of 10.6 GW clean energy procurement, Utility Dive, Aug. 27, 2024.
- Moss Landing battery storage fire flares up again, raising new safety fears in California, CalMatters, Sept. 18, 2026.
- Galaxy Solar PV and Storage Project, Notice of Determination, SCH 2025081409, CEQAnet, received Oct. 1, 2026.
- Kern County approves 600MW/4GWh solar-plus-storage project from Terra-Gen in California, PV Tech, Sept. 30, 2026.
- Euismod Energy Storage Project, Draft EIR, SCH 2025120791, CEQAnet, received Aug. 6, 2026.
- Kern County approves Discovery Solar project amid revenue concerns, 23ABC News, June 19, 2026.
- Power availability becoming key driver of CRE value, JLL, Feb. 26, 2026.
- Bakersfield Industrial MarketBeat Q2 2026, Cushman & Wakefield, Q2 2026.
- Q2 2026 Bakersfield, CA Industrial Market Report, Lee & Associates, July 2026.
About this article
Kern CRE prepared this article with help from AI research and writing tools. An editor reviewed the draft, checked its facts against the sources linked above and edited it for accuracy and clarity. Details come from public records and the sources cited; unless stated, Kern CRE and ASU Commercial were not involved in the transaction or project.