Pasadena City Council to Consider $4.6 Million Electric System Upgrade

The Pasadena Finance Committee on Monday will consider a $4.6 million agreement with Southern California Edison to upgrade aging electrical equipment critical to the city’s power supply.

The proposed contract would allow SCE to replace protection relays, communication devices and monitoring equipment at two key locations, an Agenda Report by Pasadena Water and Power showed. Work would occur at SCE’s Gould Substation and Pasadena Water and Power’s T.M. Goodrich Receiving Station.

PWP said the project also includes replacing a 220-kilovolt disconnect switch at the TMG Receiving Station. The switch is critical for safely isolating parts of the system during maintenance or emergencies.

The utility earlier negotiated the project costs with SCE for engineering, procurement and construction services. The total amount includes a base contract of $4.1 million and a $413,788 contingency for potential change orders.

Pasadena imports most of its electricity through transmission lines connected to SCE’s Mesa and Gould substations. Power flows through two 220-kilovolt transmission lines to PWP’s TMG Receiving Station.

PWP said the equipment upgrades target aging infrastructure on the Gould-TMG transmission line. Replacing this equipment will enhance service reliability and reduce the risk of service interruptions.

SCE operates the equipment at TMG Receiving Station under an interconnection agreement executed in 2010. The agreement allows delivery of purchased power from various off-site locations to the city.

Due to operational responsibilities and compatibility requirements, SCE is uniquely qualified to perform the upgrade work, PWP said. The company previously completed similar protection upgrade work for Pasadena at an actual cost of approximately $580,000.

The city will fund the project using $1.9 million from existing budget appropriations and $2.7 million from the Power Capital Fund. No General Fund money would be used.

PWP said the work is essential to maintaining safe and reliable operation of the interconnection. The project ensures continued delivery of electrical service to Pasadena customers.

The Finance Committee meets Monday, 3 p.m., at the City Council Chamber. The recommendation will then be forwarded to the full City Council for approval.