City Advances Toward Carbon-Free Energy Goals

Pasadena is making significant progress toward its ambitious goal of achieving 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030, according to an update on the City’s Optimized Strategic Plan (OSP) to be presented to the Municipal Services Committee on March 11.

The comprehensive planning effort, established to fulfill the City’s Resolution 9977, is being led by consulting firm Energy and Environmental Economics, Inc. (E3).

The first phase of OSP’s Preparatory Studies is reportedly complete and the focus is now shifting towards moving into detailed Portfolio Development to chart Pasadena’s path to clean energy.

Projections for 2031 show the City is on track to reach 103% of its annual retail sales from carbon-free resources and 94% of energy produced by Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) coming from carbon-free sources.

However, the more challenging hourly matching metric stands at 88%, highlighting the complexity of the “last 5-10%” needed to reach full carbon-free status.

The OSP follows a structured three-phase approach: Preparatory Studies to identify resource options, Portfolio Development using detailed power system modeling, and Impact Assessment to calculate costs and identify risks. This methodical process will ultimately result in an actionable roadmap for implementation.

A key finding from the studies reveals that Pasadena’s limited transmission capacity presents significant reliability challenges. The City’s sole connection point to the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) grid at the TM Goodrich receiving station has a maximum import capacity of 280 MW under normal conditions—less than the City’s peak demand of 330 MW. During an N-1 contingency scenario (such as a transformer failure), this import capacity could drop to just 140 MW, making local generation resources crucial for reliability.

The report detailed three approaches to maintaining reliability while pursuing carbon-free goals: supplementing the existing Glenarm Power Plant, mitigating its use during normal conditions, or potentially replacing it entirely. Complete replacement would require substantial local resource development, approaching the technical limits of what’s possible within Pasadena’s dense urban environment.

The Glenarm analysis revealed three key insights: replacing Glenarm would require new internal generation at a scale approaching technical potential; accelerating local resource development could reduce Glenarm operations except in extreme conditions; and full hydrogen conversion of Glenarm would require significant infrastructure development, some beyond PWP’s control. Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) may serve as an effective short-term substitute while longer-term options are pursued.

Future projects under development include Bonanza solar (105 MW) and storage (55 MW), Grace solar (50 MW), Geysers geothermal (25 MW), Coso geothermal (10 MW), CalWind (20 MW), and Glenarm battery storage (25 MW).

E3 will continue working with PWP to finalize studies and develop detailed portfolios that balance reliability, affordability, and environmental goals. The next steps include Long-Term Capacity Expansion optimization modeling to develop multiple case studies aimed at minimizing costs while meeting clean energy targets and reliability requirements.

PWP is also integrating the OSP with its Electric Rate Study to refine power cost projections and revenue requirements in alignment with Resolution 9977’s goals. This coordination ensures that financial planning and operational strategies work together toward the carbon-free objective.

The plan is being developed with extensive community input, including nine Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) meetings providing technical guidance, and a Community Meeting held in September 2024. Additional public meetings are planned throughout the project duration, with bi-monthly updates to the Municipal Services Committee and Environmental Advisory Commission.

The Municipal Services Committee’s next meeting will be held on March 11, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. in the Pasadena City Hall Council Chamber. Residents can attend in person at 100 North Garfield Avenue, Room S249, watch the livestream here  http://pasadena.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=9 or www.pasadenamedia.org,

or submit comments through the City’s public comment webpage: at www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/public-comment/.