Pasadena Water and Power Wins 2026 Green Power Leadership Award

Pasadena Water and Power has received a 2026 Green Power Leadership Award from the nonprofit Center for Resource Solutions, recognizing the utility’s clean-energy purchasing as it pursues a 2030 carbon-free goal, the city said in a news release.

The award, in the organization’s “Impactful Procurement” category, was presented Sept. 2 at its Renewable Energy Markets conference in Washington, D.C. The category honors organizations whose renewable energy choices most effectively drive new supply and expand markets, according to the Center for Resource Solutions.

An evaluation panel that includes representatives of the nonprofit and other green power experts reviews applications for the awards, according to the organization.

The Pasadena City Council passed a resolution on Jan. 30, 2023, setting a policy goal of sourcing 100% of the city’s electricity from carbon-free sources by the end of 2030, according to the utility.

The city said the award reflects work to carry out its Optimized Strategic Plan, which supports Resolution 9977 declaring a climate emergency. The city also said that since adopting the Integrated Resource Plan in 2023, the utility has expanded its clean energy portfolio with new renewable energy and storage resources that place the city firmly on track toward the 2030 goal.

The city cited the planned Glenarm Battery Energy Storage System, a 25-megawatt, four-hour utility-scale battery. In a November 2025 news release, the city said the project, supported by a $9.66 million California Energy Commission grant, was scheduled to break ground in 2026 and begin operating in 2027.

“Through forward-looking procurement strategies and targeted investments, [Pasadena Water and Power] is accelerating the development of new renewable energy and storage resources while strengthening grid reliability across Pasadena,” said David Reyes, the utility’s general manager.

“Every milestone we reach brings Pasadena closer to a 100% carbon-free future,” Mayor Victor Gordo said.

Some residents have pressed the city to move faster. At an April joint meeting of the City Council and Finance Committee on the city’s capital spending plan, public comment highlighted concern that Pasadena was not moving quickly enough to meet the 2030 goal.

A progress report scheduled for review by the City Council’s Municipal Services Committee in July said installed solar capacity in the city had reached 33.6 megawatts as of mid-2026, and that the utility plans to study long-duration battery storage at the Broadway Power Plant to further reduce the city’s dependence on the Glenarm natural gas facility.