Pasadena Council To Consider $2.9 Million Upgrade For Glenarm Power Plant Turbines

The Pasadena City Council on Monday could approve a nearly $2.9 million contract with GE Vernova Inc. to upgrade control systems for two of the city’s natural gas turbines at the Glenarm Power Plant, part of a broader effort to ensure local power reliability during upcoming infrastructure work.

The $2,916,936 agreement covers hardware and software upgrades for Gas Turbines 3 and 4, which have been in operation since 2002.

City staff said the units are approaching 25 years of service and rely on outdated systems that are increasingly prone to failure and difficult to maintain.

The contract includes a base bid of $2,566,060 and a contingency of $350,876 for potential change orders.

Officials recommended awarding the deal without competitive bidding, citing GE Vernova’s role as the original equipment manufacturer and the only vendor qualified to perform the specialized work.

The upgrades are being prioritized ahead of a major project scheduled to begin in October 2026 that will replace “Path 2,” one of the city’s key sub-transmission lines connecting the Glenarm and Santa Anita receiving stations.

That work, expected to last six months, will significantly reduce Pasadena’s ability to import electricity from the state grid.

“Local generation must be at peak reliability to prevent rolling blackouts,” staff wrote in a report to the council.

The Glenarm Power Plant has five quick-start turbines capable of producing about 200 megawatts of electricity.

The facility provides backup power during peak demand and emergencies, supports renewable integration by supplying fast-start capacity, and participates in the wholesale energy market through the California Independent System Operator (CAISO).

The upgrades are part of Pasadena Water and Power’s long-term Maintenance Plan, which outlines preventative and predictive maintenance for the city’s generating assets.

City officials said deferring the work would increase the risk of unplanned outages, efficiency losses and even regulatory violations if emission controls and monitoring systems were not properly maintained.

The planned improvements include replacing obsolete hardware and updating software from version S3 to S7.3.0.

According to staff, the new system will boost efficiency, reduce water use, eliminate nuisance shutdowns, and prepare the turbines for potential future use of alternative fuels.

“These upgrades are essential to improving system reliability and extending equipment life,” the report stated.

Funding for the project will come from existing appropriations in the city’s Capital Equipment Refurbishments program.

Officials said no impact to the General Fund is expected, and no ongoing software licensing costs are anticipated once the upgrade is complete.

The work is scheduled to take place in Fiscal Year 2026.

City staff noted the project supports Pasadena’s Power Delivery Master Plan, adopted in 2022, which guides utility planning for the next two decades and includes steps toward achieving the city’s 2030 carbon-free power goals.

If approved, the upgrades will be completed before the Path 2 replacement project begins, ensuring the city can meet electricity demand during the period of reduced import capacity.