Council Briefed on City’s Power Infrastructure Vulnerabilities After Heat Wave Blackouts

Pasadena’s recent power outages during extreme heat have exposed critical vulnerabilities in the city’s electrical infrastructure and distribution, prompting officials to consider important upgrades to prevent future blackouts.

On Friday, September 6, as temperatures reportedly soared to 115 degrees at the Glenarm Power Plant, Pasadenans experienced rolling outages affecting a total of approximately 12,000 customers for periods ranging from 15 minutes to an hour or more.

The extreme heat triggered automatic shutdowns of power plant units to protect critical equipment, leaving the city unable to meet peak demand of 330 megawatts, a new all-time high, against an import capacity of 280 megawatts.

“These extreme heat conditions triggered automatic preventative measures for components to go offline to safeguard critical equipment from significant damage,” said Stacie Takeguchi, Chief Assistant General Manager of Pasadena Water and Power.

The outages, which PWP said lasted from 4:02 p.m. to 5:21 p.m., exposed the limitations of Pasadena’s aging power infrastructure in the face of increasingly extreme weather events linked to climate change.

Compounding the issue, Gas Turbine 5 was already out for repair, further reducing the city’s power generation capacity during the heatwave.

City officials reported they are now working to implement both short-term fixes and long-term upgrades to bolster the power system’s resilience against future heatwaves.

Immediate actions include installing additional cooling systems at key power plant components and augmenting shade structures to prevent overheating.

“We are taking action to make sure that we add additional cooling systems at the key components at the power plant,” Takeguchi said.

Longer-term plans involve improving communication systems to provide faster, more comprehensive notifications to residents during emergencies, including alerts in multiple languages.

The City is also exploring ways to enhance its emergency response protocols, potentially even activating the citywide Emergency Operations Center during extreme heat events.

Some Councilmembers expressed concern about the impact on vulnerable populations, particularly seniors and those with medical needs requiring electricity.

“Does your Department work with Transportation and Dial-A-Ride to let Dial-A-Ride know about our cooling centers?” asked Councilmember Tyron Hampton.

Officials acknowledged the need for better coordination between City Departments to protect at-risk residents during extreme weather events.

The power outages have reignited debates about Pasadena’s energy future, with some residents calling for increased investment in renewable energy and battery storage.

“It seems that alternative internal energy technologies such as solar and batteries or other storage technologies may have prevented these blackouts,” said Sonja Berndt, a local resident who spoke during the Council’s public comment portion.