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March 10, 2025
In Jan. 2025, a Vistra power plant near Monterey caught fire, causing mass property damage and sicknesses to arise among local residents. Because of this, Morro Bay residents grew increasingly worried about the planned establishment of a separate Vistra battery plant near the bay. Not only did safety concerns arise because of this plan, but local residents also grew concerned about its cultural impact on the tourist town, as in order for the battery plant to be built, the old power plant, commonly known as the Three Stacks, would need to be demolished.
Vistra Corp's battery plant in Moss Landing on fire (Photo Credit: The Independent)
A Texas based power company, Vistra Corp, submitted applications in 2020 to build a large battery storage facility on the property that Morro Bay’s old power plant, retired over a decade ago in 2014, resided on. On Feb. 25, Morro Bay City Council members voted unanimously to extend the original urgency ordinance, passed on Jan. 28, 2025, preventing the city from processing these permits until Jan. 28, 2027. Local residents were already concerned with the safety of having a plant so close to residential neighborhoods, as well as MBHS’ campus; however, with the increasing number of power plant fires across California, residents became even more worried about the safety of the town.
In an interview with KSBY, Morro Bay City Council member Zara Landrum said, “There are concerns about this fire and how it would impact Morro Bay… the fact that it is so close to a high school is a concern, the air quality, and we’re a tourist community - how economically devastating it is affecting people’s desire to come here.”
Local Peg Ryan agrees with the perspective that a battery plant would do more harm than good to Morro Bay. Ryan said, “When the stacks were working, the people that lived over there used to have soot on their cars, and so people were breathing that stuff,” pointing out the negative health impacts of having an industrial plant so close to where people are living.
Morro Bay locals aren’t just concerned with the safety of their town - citizens are also worried about the cultural impact of demolishing the stacks on the tourist style of the city. Morro Bay is commonly known for its beaches, the Embarcadero with a surplus of shops and restaurants, and stunning views. But one thing that sticks around constantly is the significance of the “three stacks and a rock.”
Junior Zoe Fitzwater said, “It’s sad honestly, it’s like a landmark for this place, and I feel like it’s just a big part of Morro Bay to see the stacks and the rock, even if they are out of power.”
Aerial view of Morro Bay's Three Stacks and a Rock at sunrise (Photo Credit: slocal.com)
For years, Morro Bay shops have sold merchandise with an image of the three stacks and Morro Bay’s iconic volcanic plug, also known as “the rock,” and there are even restaurants on the Embarcadero named after these, including “Three Stacks and a Rock Brewing Company” and “STAX Wine Bar and Bistro.” Without the three stacks, locals are concerned that the city will simply become known for “the rock,” which, admittedly, is not very catchy.
With the extension on the permits’ processing for at least two years, the Morro Bay City Council will have more time to dive into the topic and thoroughly assess the situation, both the positives and the negatives. The extension will also allow locals’ opinions and concerns to be clearly voiced in an unrushed manner. For now, Morro Bay’s Three Stacks and a Rock still stand together as a mark of the beach town’s tourist lifestyle.
Sources: The Tribune, KSBY
“It’s still a big part of this community,” said Fitzwater.
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