Council to Weigh Resolution Expanding Solar Power Limits

Pasadena residents may soon be able to install larger solar systems if the City Council approves a resolution on Monday.

A successful vote would allow customers to install larger solar systems than currently permitted and align with the city’s strategy to reach 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030.

Under the proposal, Pasadena Water and Power would permit customers to size systems up to 150% of the customer’s maximum annual historical usage within the past five years; systems greater than that could be allowed, capped at one megawatt, if paired with an energy storage system, and subjected to localized distribution grid sufficiency.

City staff said the changes are meant to align local policies with grid planning; the city currently limits solar system sizing to 100% of annual usage as of Sept. 8.

The measure is part of a broader clean energy strategy that includes expanding energy storage and electrification; systems have been installed in Pasadena to date, mostly by residential customers as of Sept. 8.

Officials stressed that any system expansion must ensure the safety and reliability of the local distribution network, given the potential impacts of customer-sited generation on transformers, feeders, and substations.

The resolution also directs Pasadena Water and Power staff to develop recommendations to incentivize battery storage, such as a battery rebate program, in advance of time-of-use rate implementation, and notes that storage can ease strain on the grid.