The Duck Curve#fire safety
Buffalo apartment battery, CEC's $6.8M for VPPs, Budderfly's $500M
Viridi and Good Carbon Co. said on October 20, 2026 they had installed a 3.75 MWh lithium-ion battery in Peace Bridge Place, a 105-unit affordable apartment building in Buffalo, New York. The California Energy Commission approved two virtual power plant grants worth $6.84 million on October 19, and Budderfly said on October 20 it will make $500 million available for municipal energy upgrades.
Volkswagen recalls 22,524 ID.4s for battery fire risk with no fix yet
Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 22,524 2023–2026 ID.4s (NHTSA recall 26V630) because the high-voltage battery may fail and lead to a fire; the root cause is unknown, owners are advised to charge to 80% at most, and interim owner letters are expected November 27, 2026. All four ID.4 traction-battery recalls since December 2025 name SK Battery America as a supplier.
La Verne council ratifies local emergency over MWD battery fire
The La Verne City Council voted unanimously on September 29, 2026 to approve a local emergency over the September 22 fire at the Metropolitan Water District's Weymouth plant, CBS Los Angeles reported; the resolution ratifies the city manager's September 25 proclamation, continuing it until the council ends it, at the earliest possible date that conditions warrant. The city manager's incident-update report says the cause investigation is ongoing and expected to be lengthy and thorough; the city's bulletin at 8:30 PM September 29 says the modules remain isolated and prepared for removal.
La Verne lifts evacuations after battery fire at MWD's Weymouth plant
The City of La Verne said on September 25, 2026 that all evacuation orders from the September 22 lithium battery explosion and fire at the Metropolitan Water District's Weymouth Water Treatment Plant had been lifted after crews removed the modules overnight. The city says two 250-kilowatt units serving a solar farm were involved, one burned and the second overheated; its September 25 summaries put air monitoring in the normal range; the packs are expected off site within 3 to 5 days of September 25, pending materials; MWD then leads the investigation; the City Council meets September 29.
