Pasadena got significantly closer to its goal of sourcing 100% of its energy needs from carbon-free power by the end of 2030 but is still expected to have some reliance on fossil fuels until new technologies emerge.
The Pasadena City Council voted to approve a $512 million, 20-year contract that will allow Pasadena Water and Power to purchase solar photovoltaic energy and battery storage from Bonanza Solar.
The contract, approved unanimously at the council’s Feb. 26 meeting, will provide a maximum of 105 megawatts of solar power and up to four hours of dispatchable battery energy not to exceed 55 megawatts. The deal is set to begin on Dec. 31, 2027, when the 300MW Bonanza Project located in Clark County, Nevada, is expected to start operations.
“This solar agreement is an important step forward in meeting our goal to source 100% of Pasadena’s electricity from carbon-free sources by the end of 2030,” Mayor Victor Gordo said. “This contract is especially timely considering Pasadena’s exit from the Intermountain Power Project. The City, Pasadena Water and Power, and the residents of Pasadena are committed to a clean energy future.”
The contract aims to replace the 108 MW of energy that will be lost when the city leaves the IPP coal-fired plant power agreement in June 2027, on its way to meeting its renewable energy goals to be implemented in its 2023 Integrated Resource Plan.
Pasadena’s 2023 IRP, governing how the city will meet its energy needs, was approved in December, but will get an update this year following protest from climate activists who pushed the plan to go further in meeting renewable energy goals.
While the plan approved by the council meets all the required climate change goals, it relies on assumptions of significant resource acquisition, capital upgrades, infrastructure improvements and technology advancements that may not pan out.
Because of this, it includes “waypoints” in 2026 and 2028 where PWP and policy makers…
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