Clean Power Pasadena Partnership

The City of Pasadena (“Pasadena”) through its Department of Water and Power (“PWP”) is issuing a Request for Proposals (“RFP”) for one or more distributed generation renewable energy facilities (“Proposed Project”). Proposed Projects must be located within PWP service territory and must interconnect directly to PWP's electric distribution grid. PWP is seeking distributed resources larger than 200kW.

In 2023, the Pasadena City Council adopted Resolution No. 9977, declaring a climate emergency and committing to source 100% of the city’s electricity from carbon-free resources by the end of 2030. This bold initiative positions Pasadena as a leader in climate action, surpassing state mandates and most voluntary targets set by other utilities and corporations.

To meet the Resolution No. 9977 goal and to fulfill energy procurement requirements of 100% carbon-free supply, Proposed Projects must meet the requirements of the California Renewable Energy Resources Program (Public Utilities Code, or PUC §§ 25740 et seq.) and the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program (PUC §§ 399.11 et seq.). This RFP supports both Pasadena’s 100% carbon-free goal under Resolution No. 9977 and PWP’s compliance with California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard (“CA RPS”) as outlined in PUC § 399.30.

PWP is primarily seeking Projects with commercial operation or delivery start dates on or before December 31, 2028, with a minimum delivery term of 10 years. PWP will consider Proposals with delivery start dates later than December 31, 2028, or with alternative delivery terms.

Background

Pasadena is an ethnically diverse community that is home to approximately 142,017 people, is the ninth-largest city in Los Angeles County and is one of the primary cultural centers of the San Gabriel Valley. Pasadena covers approximately 22.5 square miles, with an average of ten residents per acre, and a median age of approximately 37 years. There are over 100,000 jobs in a wide variety of industries in Pasadena.

Pasadena Water and Power ("PWP")

Pasadena has operated its Water and Power Department since the early 20 ^th century, delivering approximately 1.1 million megawatt hours (“MWh”) of energy annually to 65,000 customers. PWP's diverse energy portfolio includes gas-fired, hydro power, nuclear, photovoltaic, wind, geothermal, and landfill gas resources. PWP owns gas-fired units at the Glenarm Power Plant and shares in the gas-fired Magnolia Power Project, the Hoover Dam Hydroelectric Power Plant, and the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station. PWP also holds shares of the natural gas Intermountain Power Project (“IPP”) and has various contracts for renewable resources.

As a Scheduling Coordinator and Load Serving Entity within the CAISO Balancing Authority Area, PWP manages a peak load of approximately 330 megawatts (“MW”) and can import up to 280 megawatts ("MW") of power through its T.M. Goodrich Receiving Station. Historically, Pasadena has demonstrated a strong commitment to transitioning to carbon-free and renewable energy, adopting a Climate Action Plan and setting a goal to source 100% of electricity from carbon-free sources by 2030, as outlined in PWP's 2023 Integrated Resource Plan and 2025 Optimized Strategic Plan (“OSP”). The OSP includes an emphasis on local renewable energy development, which this RFP supports.