Pasadena Fetes What Is All Too Often Taken for Granted: The Electricity That Powers the City

Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) is celebrating Public Power Week with an educational event and a week-long social media campaign from October 2 to 8.

PWP kicked off the week with an assembly at Washington Middle School on Tuesday.

The assembly focused on Washington sixth graders and taught the importance of efficiency and conservation. Interim General Manager Gurcharan Bawa gave an introduction, highlighting the utility’s history of reliable service and discussing the future of environmentally-responsible power.

The students then received a first-hand account of what it takes to provide power to Pasadena.

A member of the Glenarm Power Plant crew talked about the wide range of public power careers by explaining the diverse roles of PWP’s electric employees. Linemen, perhaps the most recognizable public power employees, also participated in the assembly by discussing their day-to-day tasks, demonstrating the equipment they often use in the field, and answering questions from interested students.

Later in the assembly, each sixth grader (a total of 170 students) received an efficiency kit from the PWP- sponsored Living Wise Program, which provides a conservation curriculum that spans a three-to-six week period. Items provided in the efficiency kits encourage students to become at-home “efficiency auditors” with tools such as LED light bulbs, a digital thermometer to test the temperature of refrigerator or water heater, and more.

“PWP is proud to kick-off Public Power week with an assembly that empowers each student to be Energy Ambassador in their home. Using the tools in the Efficiency kit, the students will learn how they can do their part to conserve and hopefully inspire them to find creative solutions for tomorrow’s challenges,” said Interim General Manager Gurcharan Bawa.

Additionally, throughout the week, PWP will feature a social media campaign that highlights the benefits of having a community-owned utility. Each day will be dedicated to one facet of PWP’s reliable and affordable electric service. Posts will include a spotlight on PWP’s electric employees, the Glenarm Power Plant, and efforts to embrace renewable energy sources. To follow the #PublicPowerWeekhighlights on social media, visit PWP’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Over 2,000 community-owned, not-for-profit electric utilities provide power to more than 48 million Americans. Coordinated by the American Public Power Association, Public Power Week highlights the reliable electric service provided by local utilities, as well as the employees who work hard to support those efforts.

To view photos from the Public Power Week event at Washington Middle School, please visit  www.PWPWeb.com/PPW2016.