Water and Power Marks Public Power Week With Lineman Storytime and Circuit Workshop

Pasadena Water and Power will mark Public Power Week with two family events at city libraries: a lineman-led storytime with a utility truck for toddlers on Monday, Oct. 5, and a hands-on circuit-building session for school-age children on Thursday, Oct. 8, according to the City of Pasadena.

Public Power Week runs Oct. 4 through Oct. 10 this year, the first full week of October, and is coordinated nationally by the American Public Power Association. The association counts approximately 2,000 community-powered, not-for-profit electric utilities that together serve 55 million Americans in 49 states and employ more than 100,000 people. Its 2026 theme is “Your Community. Your Utility. Your Power.”

Storytime and Touch-a-Truck with a Lineman begins at 10:30 a.m. at the Santa Catalina Branch Library, 999 E. Washington Blvd., with an electric storybook reading by a lineman and a chance to see a Pasadena Water and Power vehicle up close. It is recommended for children 18 to 36 months old.

Power Up! Build a Circuit begins at 3:30 p.m. at the Allendale Branch Library, 1130 S. Marengo Ave., with hands-on activities teaching the basic science of electrical circuits. It is recommended for ages 5 to 12.

As a not-for-profit public utility, Pasadena Water and Power operates for the benefit of Pasadena residents, businesses and visitors, and says it prioritizes reliability, responsiveness to customers, competitive rates and environmental stewardship, according to the city.

The observance arrives as the utility carries out an electric rate adjustment. City records show staff was directed to propose a plan of 7% increases in three phases to ease the impact on residential customers, and the Light and Power Fund rate schedule presented to the City Council in March lists a step effective Oct. 1. The utility explains the adjustment this way: “Much of Pasadena’s electric system is aging.”

Under the proposed rates, a 500-kilowatt-hour monthly residential bill would be $109.26 in Pasadena, compared with $161.60 from Southern California Edison and $154.17 from Glendale Water & Power, according to the utility’s February comparison. Income-qualified customers can receive monthly bill credits, according to a March presentation to the City Council.

Event details and family resources are at https://pwp.cityofpasadena.net/public-power-week-2026/.

Santa Catalina Branch Library, 999 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena. Monday, Oct. 5, 10:30 a.m. Allendale Branch Library, 1130 S. Marengo Ave., Pasadena. Thursday, Oct. 8, 3:30 p.m. For more visit https://pwp.cityofpasadena.net/public-power-week-2026/.