City Poised to Award $750,000 Contract to Sole Responsive Bidder for Power Plant Emissions Equipment

Only one company met Pasadena’s requirements when the city sought bids for industrial gases essential to emissions monitoring at its power plants—leaving officials to consider a $750,000 award to the only responsive bidder.

The Pasadena City Council will consider the three-year contract with WestAir Gases & Equipment, Inc., a San Diego company, at its meeting Monday evening.

Ten vendors downloaded the bid specifications after the city posted the solicitation in May through its OpenGov procurement platform. None were local businesses. Only three submitted bids, and two of those were rejected because the companies would not accept the city’s contract terms, according to Pasadena Water and Power.

WestAir, which has not previously contracted with Pasadena, was the sole responsive bidder at $221,000 for the base contract. PWP says the company’s pricing aligns with current industry standards.

The gases serve a critical regulatory function. Federal and local air quality regulations require continuous emissions monitoring at the Broadway and Glenarm power plants. The monitoring systems need regular calibration with industrial gases to ensure accuracy. The gases are also used for welding, purging, and blanketing at the facilities.

The contract totals $663,000 for the three-year base period, with an additional $87,000 contingency to cover potential increased demand during distribution system work.

Power Fund appropriations will cover the first six months, with future costs appearing in annual operating budgets. No General Fund money is required.

The City Council meeting begins at 6 p.m. Monday.