City Moves Ahead with $63 Million Power Equipment Purchase

A $63 million contract was awarded to General Electric Packaged Power Inc., to design, furnish, and deliver the Power Island Equipment (PIE) part of the Glenarm Repowering Project by the Pasadena City Council at its July 29 meeting.

Pasadena is one of only a handful of smaller cities in California which is able to supply the majority of the electricity needed for the city from its own power generating facilities.

In 2009, city officials adopted the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), a blueprint for the Pasadena Department of Water and Power (PWP) to ensure “reliable, environmentally responsible electricity service, competitive rates and energy independence” through 2030.

A key feature of the IRP is the replacement of inefficient local generating units of PWP’s power plant.

General Manager Phyllis Currie reported “This project is needed to avoid outages, and upgrade the B3 steam generator that has been in operation since 1965.”

The new Glenarm power generation equipment will be located at 43 East State Street/72 East Glenarm Street. This will generate electricity about 30 times more efficiently than the current power station.

“By generating power locally, we can continue to provide uninterrupted to our customers when the city’s electrical demand exceeds it’s import capacity” stated Phyllis Currie.

“It is urgent for the city to get the permit issued from the Air Quality Management District AQMD, before September 6, to not incur a $1.5 million fee,” said Mayor Bill Bogaard.

GE will gather all components needed such as generators, gas and steam turbines and oversee the delivery and installation of the power plant. This project is expected to take 2 years to complete.

The Council was given assurances that the project will stay on the new budget. The Council will be provided quarterly reports on progress and spending.

The estimated impact on customers bills will between $3 to $7 per month.

Originally the site was to be the Glenarm and Arroyo Parkway facility, but due to asbestos and lead contamination this idea was shelved. A stand alone control office being built has saved the city $4 million, officials told the Council.