Pasadena Water and Power Annual Report Shows the Utility Provided $11.4 Million in Financial Relief to Pandemic-Impacted Customers

Through all of 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic raged and impacted Pasadena, Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) provided financial relief to its customers by refunding at least $11.4 million in Utility Underground (UUG) surtaxes, which it collected over a two-year period beginning in April 2018.

The utility also suspended collection of new UUG fees, amounting to about $2 million, for six months.

These items were part of PWP’s fiscal year 2020 annual report released recently. The report summarized PWP’s important achievements and significant progress towards its goals and provided detailed data on its current financial position.

The report said PWP generated over $280 million in operating revenues during 2020, and invested more than $50 million in capital utility infrastructure improvements. PWP also contributed almost $17 million to support other City municipal services such as police, fire, parks, and libraries, the report said.

Listing other major accomplishments last year, PWP General Gurcharan Bawa said the utility completed the Marengo Charging Plaza, one of the largest electric-vehicle charging plazas in the United States; improved water infrastructure and facilities, including near-completion of the Arroyo Booster Station replacement; and made significant progress on replacing PWP’s aging Customer Information System.

In 2020, four new contracts were awarded to support a new state-of-the-art cloud-based solution for this system, the report said.

“With the theme ‘Always On,’ the 2020 Annual Report demonstrates how PWP works to maintain service reliability, enhance customer experience, and creatively support and improve the City of Pasadena despite new challenges,” Bawa said. “PWP is here, always on, and sincerely grateful for the continued privilege of serving the community.”