Council to Decide On Installation of 20 Tesla Charging Stations

The Pasadena City Council on Monday is expected to decide on a recommendation to install up to 47 new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at the Arroyo Parkway Charging Depot that will soon open at the Broadway Power Plant parking lot at 85 E. State St. 

Under a proposed agreement discussed last month by the Municipal Services Committee, Tesla Motors Inc. will install and operate 20 Tesla Supercharging EV charging stations at the new charging depot at their expense. Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) will install up to seven Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFC) EV charging stations, and up to 20 Level 2 chargers, according to the agenda report. 

The Municipal Services Committee will present the recommendation at the City Council’s regular online meeting Monday. If approved, the project could cost the City around $1.25 million, according to a Pasadena Water and Power report, but also result in cost savings of about $165,000, since Tesla Motors Inc. will be performing certain site improvement work, according to the proposed agreement. 

For a term of five years, Tesla Motors will install and operate the Arroyo Parkway Charging Depot, where EV drivers will be charged for use of the chargers, but will not be assessed parking fees. The proposed agreement provides for the option to extend it for an additional five-year term, by mutual consent. 

Currently, the city operates one DCFC located at the Del Mar Parking Garage and 20 DCFC at the Marengo Charging Plaza, located at the Marengo Parking Garage. The Marengo Charging Plaza, which also features 24 Tesla Superchargers, is currently the largest public fast-charging site in the nation. Since last year, the Marengo Charging Plaza has been delivering 5,000 to 7,000 charging sessions per month, despite a downturn in vehicle usage associated with “Safer at Home” orders from March onward. 

For the Arroyo Parkway depot, Tesla will be connecting to PWP’s electric service equipment and will be responsible for all of the costs related to equipment procurement, installation, maintenance, and electricity use associated with their charging stations. The charging stations will be separately metered, and Tesla will be responsible for the associated electric bills. 

PWP will own and operate the non-Tesla EV chargers and institute appropriate charges within the City Council approved fee schedule. PWP is expected to benefit by additional revenues for electricity sales to Tesla and non-Tesla vehicles. 

According to the agenda report, part of the funding for the project would come from a $280,000 grant which PWP secured from the Southern California Incentive Project (SCIP) in June. The balance will be funded from revenues derived from sales of Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) credits and from the Utility Underground Surtax Fund 206 for underground electric infrastructure. No electric ratepayer revenues will be used to construct the project, PWP said. 

In preparation for the opening of the new charging stations, PWP staff has been working with the Department of Transportation to develop appropriate routes and signage into the depot, which will be accessible only to eastbound traffic on Glenarm Street. 

Staff will also need to coordinate with Caltrans to deploy signage for northbound traffic on the 110 Freeway, from which EV drivers can exit at Fair Oaks Avenue before proceeding to Glenarm Street.