Pasadena Pursues One of Nation’s Most Ambitious Clean Energy Standards

When utilities promise “100 percent clean energy,” they typically mean something far less than the words suggest. Most calculate clean energy as a yearly average.

Pasadena is attempting something considerably more difficult.

The City Council will consider on Monday an Optimized Strategic Plan that would require Pasadena Water and Power to match its electricity supply with carbon-free sources every hour of every day by Dec. 31, 2030. If approved, the approach would place Pasadena among a small group of utilities nationally pursuing hourly carbon-free electricity — a goal that ranks among the most ambitious in the nation.

PWP General Manager David M. Reyes will present the plan at the 6 p.m. meeting.

The strategy implements Resolution 9977, adopted in January 2023, which committed the city to eliminating carbon emissions from its electricity supply within what is now a five-year window.

The Technical Challenge

Achieving hourly carbon-free power requires substantially more infrastructure than annual averaging. The Optimized Strategic Plan rests on five pillars: rapidly scaling proven technologies, developing innovative programs and rates, upgrading power delivery infrastructure, mitigating operations at the Glenarm Power Plant, and leveraging emerging technologies like long-duration battery storage.

PWP has already contracted for more than 300 megawatts of new renewable energy and storage capacity, according to plan documents. The plan calls for adding up to 325 megawatts of renewables and 150 megawatts of storage.

PWP plans to add 25 megawatts of battery storage at the Glenarm site by 2027 and more than 50 megawatts at the Broadway site by 2030.

The Glenarm Power Plant would continue operating but only when needed for reliability, or when called upon by the California Independent System Operator.

The utility would also pursue a second interconnection point with the state grid. It also plans to expand import capability at the TM Goodrich Receiving Station.

Local Solar as Cornerstone

Local solar development represents a key component. PWP would develop between 50 and 70 megawatts of local solar capacity, with at least 50 megawatts from customer installations and an additional 12 to 24 megawatts on city-owned properties.

The plan includes incentives, financing options, and streamlined permitting for rooftop solar. Advanced metering infrastructure currently being installed would enable time-of-use rates and demand response initiatives that incentivize energy use when renewable power is most available. The technology allows for more precise tracking of electricity usage.

Planning Process and Revisions

The Municipal Services Committee recommended the plan Nov. 5 with five revisions. Committee members asked staff to clarify the hourly carbon-free goal and increase local solar targets. The committee also requested removal of references to proposed changes in net energy metering and asked for additional information on hydrogen as an emerging technology.

Plan development included extensive community engagement. A Technical Advisory Panel with seven stakeholder representatives met regularly throughout 2024 and 2025. PWP held multiple community meetings and an open house, with a public comment period running from Oct. 6 through Oct. 27.

Consultant Energy and Environmental Economics Inc. provided technical analysis, evaluating seven case studies that explore different pathways to meet the carbon-free goal.

Costs and Accountability

Approving the plan would carry no direct fiscal impact, but implementation could carry substantial costs for PWP and its ratepayers. Each major expenditure would require separate City Council approval, including contracts for utility-scale projects and development on city properties.

The plan acknowledges significant challenges ahead and calls for flexibility as technologies evolve and market conditions shift. PWP would provide quarterly updates to the Municipal Services Committee, and the utility has launched a Clean Energy Tracker website to monitor progress on key targets.

A major checkpoint comes in 2028, when PWP would reassess its approach as it develops that year’s Integrated Resource Plan.

Equity Commitments

The plan highlights affordability and equity. PWP commits to keeping rates reasonable while transitioning to carbon-free power. PWP said low-income and disadvantaged communities would receive priority consideration. The utility plans partnerships with community-based organizations.

The council will also consider whether the plan aligns with broader city sustainability goals, including the Climate Action Plan and strategic conservation objectives.