Councilmember Justin Jones Wants Emergency Power Shutoff Plan Agendized For Municipal Services Committee

The Chair of the Municipal Services Committee said he wants a plan in place that would determine what emergencies would lead to the City shutting off power.

On Tuesday, Pasadena Water and Power said it may have to shut off power to reduce fire risks during a dangerous windstorm that continues to batter the area.

The winds downed trees and powerlines.

The City of Pasadena has issued an emergency alert for severe winds and heightened fire danger expected to impact the area from Tuesday, January 7, through Wednesday, January 8.

“I want to develop plans for other potential circumstances that might lead to a disruption of water and power such as earthquakes and windstorms,” said Councilmember Justin Jones. “I also want to ensure all life saving medical devices are registered with the City so local officials will know who needs services during an emergency.”

According to the City’s website, the Municipal Services Committee reviews electric, water and sanitation services offered by the city, as well as other related matters which the committee chair, City Council or City Council appointees determine are within the scope of the committee’s review.

Currently there is a form in Pasadena Water and Power bills asking local residents to register if they use medical devices.

The City was forced to implement rolling blackouts this past summer to alleviate strain on the power grid during a heat wave.

Jones has long been concerned about the City’s power resources and said he will be giving priority to increasing the physical security of the Pasadena Water and Power as well as its reliability and recovery abilities.

In September 2023, he started making inquiries to Pasadena Water and Power regarding the sufficiency of the City transformer inventory.

“I’m glad to see that we’ve been taking action to increase our warehouse reserves of these critical items,” Jones said. “We need to be aggressively proactive in addressing issues caused by pressure on the global supply chain and other potential disasters. I want to ensure we are adequately prepared for an emergency. I’m also concerned that we have adequate stockpiles of water treatment products to continue delivering safe water in case of a supply chain issue.”