Pasadena progresses toward carbon-free goal with 2 new projects

The Pasadena City Council on Monday approved two clean energy projects as part of the city’s gradual transition to carbon-free electricity.

One project is a 10-year contract for wind power from CalWind Resources Inc., and the other is a Battery Energy Storage System at the Glenarm Power Plant. Officials said these efforts will diversify Pasadena Water and Power’s lineup of energy resources and help the city progress toward 100% carbon-free energy sources by the end of 2030.

CalWind contract

The CalWind contract is for 20 megawatts of wind power over 10 years from a 30 MW facility in Tehachapi that is currently undergoing a “repowering” to modernize its wind turbine fleet, Pasadena officials said. Currently the city has a short-term contract with CalWind and will begin receiving power from the new 10-year agreement in May 2025.

“This wind energy agreement is another significant step toward achieving our clean energy goals,” David M. Reyes, PWP acting general manager, said in a statement. “We are excited to expand our carbon-free resource portfolio and are committed to ensuring our customers enjoy the benefits of a clean energy future.”

Battery storage at Glenarm

The Battery Energy Storage System, or BESS, project at Pasadena’s Glenarm Power Plant will be the first local utility-scale battery storage system in the city. The project will supply 25 MW of “dispatchable storage capacity” up to four hours at a time from Glenarm BESS LLC, “a special purpose entity created by EPC Energy Inc.,” according to the city. The battery is expected to have at least a 15-year lifespan.

“The battery storage installation will allow us to store excess solar energy on the grid and use it during peak demand, which will also help provide local reliability to our distribution system,” Kelly Nguyen, PWP assistant general manager of power supply, said in a statement.

To offset some of the costs associated with the battery purchase and installation, PWP got a $9.6 million grant from the California Energy Commission via the commission’s Distributed Electricity Backup Assets Program. The BESS project is expected to complete and start operating by 2027, according to PWP.

PWP provides electricity to more than 65,000 customers within Pasadena, officials said.