San Diego County planning staffers fielded pointed questions from Boulevard residents at a June 16 town hall about the proposed Starlight Solar project, according to East County Magazine. The project has drawn concern in the backcountry community because it would pair solar infrastructure with a large battery energy storage system near Jewel Valley Road.

East County Magazine reported that county planning and fire officials answered questions about evacuation planning, battery fire response, groundwater protection and emergency notification. The area is classified as a very high fire hazard severity zone, and residents raised concerns about how a fire or road closure could affect people who rely on limited routes out of the community.

The discussion also focused on the proposed battery storage system and the project site's relationship to rural water supplies. Residents and tribal representatives questioned what battery technology would be used, how firefighting runoff would be handled and what testing or monitoring would be required if the project moves forward.

The San Diego County Planning Commission has postponed its hearing on the project until 9 a.m. July 10, according to the report. For Santee and the rest of East County, the fight is part of a larger regional debate over where clean-energy infrastructure should be built, how wildfire risk is managed and whether rural communities are carrying more of the burden for countywide power needs.