Where Have All the Brownouts Gone?
A year ago at this time, Pasadenans were warned about the likelihood of summer brownouts and even rolling blackouts. This summer, the outlook is completely different thanks to two factors: a Southern California Gas natural gas shortage has been mitigated, and Pasadena’s new gas turbine Glenarm Power Plant is online.
But, authorities caution, Pasadenans should still conserve energy.
With high temperatures predicted to be in the lower 90s throughout the week, Pasadena residents
The City is now facing temperatures in the 90’s for the next week backed up by power from the new 71 MW combined cycle unit (GT-5) at the Glenarm Power Plant that allows Pasadena Water and Power to generate electricity within minutes versus hours.
The new generating unit at Glenarm – a 71-megawatt combined cycle unit – is the result of an extensive power plant upgrade that replaced a 51-year-old steam generating unit, Broadway 3, with a more efficient, combined cycle, natural gas turbine unit, GT-5.
The new unit is considered the most environmentally “clean” unit in its class, with the lowest emissions in the country.
Work on the new generating unit started in 2014 and took about 23 months until completion in December 2016. GT-5 was officially switched on in February.
Margi Otto, PWP’s Public Relations and Marketing Manager, said the repowered Glenarm plant will be able to sustain electricity requirements for Pasadena even during high-heat periods when California authorities normally call on power consumers throughout the state to save electricity.
