Where Our Power Comes From
Pasadena Water and Power strives for a balanced and sustainable mix of power supply sources, one that ensures service reliability and competitive rates for our customers. We receive and transmit high voltage electricity, generated locally or purchased from a mix of conventional and renewable energy sources, and step it down to deliver low voltage electricity to more than 65,000 customers throughout Pasadena.
Most of our power is purchased via contracts from varied sources, both conventional and renewable, or through the wholesale energy market. PWP-owned generating facilities meet about 10 percent of its power demand. The Power Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) is our guiding document for achieving internal power supply goals while upholding local, state and federal mandates.
We get power from variety of sources including hydropower, natural-gas-fired generators, renewable energy such as solar and wind power, and power we purchase on the wholesale market. Our goal is a balanced and sustainable mix of sources and we are on track to have a 50% green portfolio by 2030.
A complete list and description of our renewable and conventional power sources is available here.
To see PWP's current energy resource mix and how it compares to the State of California as a whole, read our Power Content Label.
Resource Improvements and Long Term Projects
Pasadena Water and Power is mindful of the great impact a utility can have on the environment, as we depend directly on natural resources and the use of fossil fuels. Careful management of these natural resources is as integral to our values as it is to our business, especially as we reduce our dependency on traditional energy sources. We are Pasadena’s community-owned utility, and we share our community’s vision for protecting the environment. PWP has embraced aggressive environmental goals, which we are not only on target to meeting state standards but well ahead of meeting the goals established in our IRP.
In December 2016, Pasadena Water and Power completed the Glenarm Repowering Project, an extensive power plant upgrade that includes the replacement of a 51-year-old steam generating unit, with a more efficient combined cycle turbine unit known as Gas Turbine 5 (GT-5). Now fully operational, GT-5 provides Pasadena with clean, natural-gas fueled power that is the most efficient and environmentally “clean” unit in its class.
Public Power Week
The American Public Power Association celebrates Public Power Week every year, during the first full week of October. This nationwide celebration is dedicated to helping customers and stakeholders cultivate stronger working relationships with their local utility, and ultimately benefit from all its offerings. As a publicly-owned utility, PWP takes part in Public Power Week by hosting events, educating customers, and encouraging energy efficiency.
PWP Power System Facts:
- 23 square-mile service area within Pasadena city limits
- 65,000 power accounts (57,000 residential accounts and 8,000 commercial accounts)
- 1658 linear miles of overhead and underground power line
- 11,163 poles
- 11 substations
- Over one million MWh of energy delivered each year
