Pasadena Weighs ‘Game Changer’ Energy Systems for 710 Stub Redevelopment

A presentation to Pasadena’s Environmental Advisory Commission on Tuesday will outline sustainability strategies for the former 710 freeway stub that planners call “game changers”—district-scale energy systems that could significantly reduce carbon emissions across the entire development.

Senior Project Manager Wendy Macias, from the City Manager’s office, will present the sustainability vision as an information item at the commission’s 6 p.m. meeting.

The plan proposes technologies largely untested at municipal scale in Southern California: ground-source geothermal heating and cooling, municipal waste heat recovery, and district greywater systems capable of treating up to 205,000 gallons daily for non-potable reuse.

At the core of the strategy are centralized district energy plants that would serve multiple buildings through thermal microgrids. Ground-source heat pumps, one option under consideration, could cut HVAC energy use by 20 to 50 percent and carbon dioxide emissions by 30 to 50 percent, according to the report. The city is studying Vancouver’s Southeast False Creek Neighborhood Energy Utility as a model. That city-owned system serves 47 buildings, derives 70 percent of its renewable energy from sewage heat recovery, and operates at 320 percent system efficiency using heat pumps and renewable gas boilers.

Climate projections presented in the report underscore the urgency: heat stress conditions in Pasadena are projected to increase from 6.5 percent of the year currently to 19.8 percent by 2080.

All buildings would be required to be all-electric, which planners note will likely be mandated by the time of construction regardless.

The plan also addresses public health concerns for future residents near Interstate 710, recommending that commercial uses be positioned closer to the freeway to create distance between pollution sources and homes, schools and parks. Tree canopy coverage across the targeted 20 to 24 percent dedicated green space could reduce local temperatures by up to 7 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the report.

The vision plan, which began in March 2024, is scheduled for completion in March 2026 and will guide subsequent planning and environmental clearance. A 16-member Reconnecting Communities 710 Advisory Group appointed by City Council will meet December 18, January 21 and February 18 to continue refining the plan before it goes to City Council.

The report emphasizes that selecting specific technologies—whether geothermal, waste heat recovery, or other systems—will require additional technical feasibility studies in subsequent phases.