If you own a home in San Juan Capistrano or are buying near Camino Capistrano and Interstate 5, the Compass Energy Storage Project application was withdrawn. The California Energy Commission lists its status as “Withdrawn.” A separate dispute over reimbursement of city costs remains pending.
This guide is educational, not legal or tax advice.
The withdrawal answers the question about this application. For a purchase or sale, you can check the actual filings and keep questions about future proposals tied to current agency records.
What was the Compass project?
The Compass Energy Storage Project was a proposed battery storage system with capacity of 250 megawatts and 1,000 megawatt-hours.
The California Energy Commission project page identifies Compass Energy Storage LLC as the owner and assigns the project docket number 24-OPT-02. It lists the project type as Opt-In.
The proposed site covered approximately 13 acres in the northern portion of San Juan Capistrano, adjacent to Camino Capistrano and Interstate 5 to the east. The proposal would have connected to the existing San Diego Gas & Electric Trabuco to Capistrano 138-kilovolt transmission line, approximately 500 feet from the site.
The CEC held informational and environmental scoping meetings on May 29, 2025, and June 3, 2025. For its status now, use the project page and withdrawal documents.
What did the withdrawal filing say?
The applicant withdrew its application in a notice dated August 31, 2026, docketed September 1, 2026, as TN 272286.
The Notice of Withdrawal of Application gives two reasons: the inability to find an alternative suitable site near the point of interconnection and changed economic conditions associated with the project. It was filed under California Code of Regulations, title 20, section 1877.5.
The CEC Executive Director’s September 2, 2026 statement, TN 272307, confirms the withdrawal. It closes docket 24-OPT-02 with respect to further filings and says previously filed documents will remain available to the public through the Docket Unit.
For local coverage, Voice of OC reported the withdrawal. For the filing’s exact scope, read TN 272286 alongside TN 272307.
The records establish that this application was withdrawn. They don’t establish the site’s future use or rule out another proposal.
What is still unresolved?
The pending claim concerning reimbursement of local agency costs remains unresolved.
In its withdrawal notice, Compass Energy Storage LLC asked the CEC to retain jurisdiction over the dispute involving reimbursement fees requested by the City of San Juan Capistrano. The Executive Director’s statement retains authority under section 1878.1 to resolve that pending claim.
The statement expressly says docket closure does not resolve, dismiss, or otherwise affect the reimbursement claim. The application has been withdrawn, while the cost dispute remains open.
If you want to check the status of that claim, start with TN 272307 and the CEC’s public records. Keep the reimbursement question separate from the status of the proposed battery storage system.
Say a seller reviewing the Compass records sees that the reimbursement dispute remains pending and wonders whether the battery storage application is still active. The CEC project page lists the application as withdrawn, while the Executive Director’s statement keeps the local agency cost claim open. The seller can read those records as addressing separate questions: the application status and the unresolved reimbursement claim. Neither the open claim nor the withdrawal establishes what the proposed site will become.
Why was the state reviewing it instead of the city?
The applicant used the CEC’s Opt-In Certification Program, a state review pathway whose application to this project the city disputed.
Assembly Bill 205, enacted in 2022, created the Opt-In Certification Program as an optional pathway for developers. Eligible facilities include energy storage systems capable of storing 200 megawatt-hours or more.
For a facility that opts in, the CEC serves as lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act. The program requires a decision on approval within 270 days of receiving a complete application.
The CEC’s notice of preparation, quoted in the city’s letter, described a CEC certificate as taking the place of permits required by a local agency and superseding local ordinances to the extent permitted by federal law.
The city objected to CEC jurisdiction. Its letter said the project had been denied, or effectively denied, after consideration of the applicant’s request to study a rezone. Read those as the agencies’ stated positions; the withdrawal documents do not settle that jurisdictional dispute.
What did the city say about its zoning?
The city’s June 4, 2025 letter to the CEC quoted the CEC’s notice of preparation, which said the city’s Development Services Director determined that the project was not an allowable use under current zoning.
The city letter, TN 263952, quoted the CEC’s notice of preparation: city zoning regulations did not contain regulations or criteria specifically addressing commercial battery energy storage facilities. The Development Services Director determined that the project would need a Comprehensive Development Plan prepared for City Council consideration.
The letter also said the project did not conform with an ordinance prohibiting new commercial energy storage systems within the city through April 1, 2026.
The ordinance’s status after April 1, 2026, is unverified here. Ask the city for its current rules rather than treating the June 2025 letter as a statement of today’s zoning position.
How can you check for a project like this near a home?
Check the CEC’s Opt-In dashboard, the individual project page and public docket, then review the city’s council agendas.
Start at the CEC’s Opt-In Certification Program page, which points to the Opt-In Certification Dashboard and offers ways to receive updates. On a project page, check the status, location and docket number. Use the docket to read the documents behind a status change.
Say a buyer is considering a home near Camino Capistrano and Interstate 5 and hears that Compass is still proposed. The buyer checks the CEC project page, sees “Withdrawn,” and reads TN 272286 and TN 272307. Those records confirm withdrawal while leaving the reimbursement claim unresolved. The buyer then checks the city’s council agendas and asks the city for current zoning rules, without treating the withdrawn application as evidence of what the site will become.
Keep these checks alongside your other document review. The seller disclosure guide and natural hazard disclosure report guide address separate parts of that review. The Compass records don’t establish a disclosure requirement.
For another guide about checking land use proposals near a home, see buying near warehouses in Perris.
The short version
The Compass application is withdrawn, and the city’s reimbursement claim remains pending.
For a home purchase or sale, use the CEC project page and docket 24-OPT-02 to verify that distinction. Ask the city for current zoning rules, and check agency records and council agendas for future proposals. The withdrawal records don’t establish what the site will become.
As a homeowner, you can also use the home value tool.
Common questions
Was the Compass Energy Storage Project withdrawn?
Yes. The notice was dated August 31, 2026, and docketed September 1, 2026. The California Energy Commission confirmed the withdrawal on September 2, 2026.
What remains unresolved after the withdrawal?
The pending claim concerning reimbursement of local agency costs remains unresolved. The withdrawal statement says closing the docket does not resolve, dismiss, or otherwise affect that claim.
What did the city say about zoning?
The city's June 4, 2025 letter quoted the CEC's notice of preparation, which said the city's Development Services Director determined that the project was not an allowable use under current zoning. The city also cited an ordinance prohibiting new commercial energy storage systems through April 1, 2026. Ask the city for its current rules.
Where can a buyer check for future energy proposals?
Check the California Energy Commission's Opt-In Certification Dashboard, individual project pages and public docket documents, along with San Juan Capistrano City Council agendas.
