The public comment period is now open on proposed electric rate adjustments from Pasadena Water and Power following a nearly two-year rate study and outreach process, city officials said.
The City Council heard a presentation on the proposed changes on Monday. The council is scheduled to close the public hearing and consider the proposal on March 23.
Officials said the adjustments are intended to address rising equipment and infrastructure costs and support upgrades to the city’s aging electric grid.
“To keep up with rising equipment and infrastructure costs and to continue upgrading the aging power grid, a rate adjustment is necessary to keep the PWP electric system reliable for years to come,” Pasadena Water and Power General Manager David Reyes said in a statement.
Under the proposal, Pasadena Water and Power would implement a 7% systemwide average rate increase. Because the plan restructures rates rather than applying a uniform increase, the impact on customers will vary depending on electricity usage.
Officials said the majority of customers would see little to no change in their monthly bill, and some could see a decrease. About 63,000 customers are expected to either see a reduction or an increase of less than $10.
City officials also said residential electric rates would remain lower than those of neighboring utilities — including the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Southern California Edison, Glendale Water and Power and Burbank Water and Power — based on estimates for a household using 500 kilowatt-hours per month as of February 2026.
If approved by the City Council, the first rate adjustment could take effect in April. Two additional 7% systemwide average increases would follow in October 2026 and March 2027.
Pasadena Water and Power serves more than 65,000 electric customers in the city. The utility also delivers water to nearly 38,000 households and businesses in Pasadena and nearby communities in the San Gabriel Valley.
Residents can submit public comments online through the City Clerk’s office, by phone or by mail before the council considers the proposal later this month.
The proposed rate adjustment will impact PWP electric customers differently. PWP offers a bill estimator to see a personalized projection of what proposed rates would mean for your bill at PWPweb.com/RateAdjustment.
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