Watts Current - July 2016 Issue
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PWP WELCOMES NEW INTERIM GENERAL MANAGER
The City Manager's Office has provided Pasadena Water and Power(PWP) Assistant General Managers with the opportunity to serve as Interim General Manager on a six-month, rotating basis. Preceded by Deputy General Manager Eric Klinkner and Assistant General Manager Shari Thomas, Gurcharan Bawa began his term effective, July 25, 2016.
Mr. Bawa joined PWP in 1992 and currently serves as the Assistant General Manager of Power Supply, ensuring a reliable and cost-effective supply of power for Pasadena.
Mr. Bawa oversees the City's local power plant and the Glenarm Power Plant Repowering Project, which will allow PWP to reduce fuel consumption and emissions while increasing reliability. He manages the trading of energy, fuel, and environmental attributes, and PWP's scheduling of power and fuel.
He is also responsible for PWP's long-term energy integrated resource planning, which includes evaluating renewable energy resources and incorporating these assets into Pasadena's overall energy resource portfolio. To learn more,
click here.
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SUMMER HEAT BRINGS FLEX ALERTS
As you may have seen, California ISO - state grid operator- issued a Flex Alert this week, and one a few weeks ago. These are heat-related Flex Alerts and t
he state is asking everyone to do their part to conserve energy to reduce strain on the state's power grid. Although these past Flex Alerts do not directly affect Pasadena's ability to provide power to customers -- if we all do our part to conserve, it helps minimize the impact to the entire state.
PWP has been working hard to communicate the possibility of rolling blackouts resulting from the current closure of the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Facility. If Pasadena were to receive gas curtailments from SoCalGas that would lead to a rolling blackout, we will be sure to notify customers on the PWP website, Facebook and Twitter. We encourage the community to stay connected with us by signing up for outage updates and following us on social media. For more information, click here.
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JOIN US AT ASSEMBLYMAN HOLDEN'S BLOCK PARTY!
Join Assemblyman Holden for the 17th Annual Block Party and Community Resource Fair on Saturday, July 30 from 11am to 3pm. Pasadena residents are represented by Assemblyman Holden and are welcome to attend the event to hear about legislative and community issues. PWP will be hosting a table and providing information about programs, rebates and workshops available to our customers. To learn more,
click here.
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PASADENA HELPS MWD CELEBRATE 75 YEARS OF DELIVERING WATER
Recently,
the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) celebrated 75 years of delivering water from the Colorado River Aqueduct to its member agencies. This was especially significant to the City of Pasadena, as PWP was the first of the member agencies to receive water from MWD through the Aqueduct. PWP and MWD have a long-standing relationship that dates back for decades with the same goal in mind - to establish a sustainable water supply for the region. In fact, MWD held its first board meeting in Pasadena at the Huntington Hotel (currently The Langham Huntington Hotel) in 1928. From there, MWD established its founding 13 member agencies, including Pasadena. On June 13, 2016, each of the original 13 member agencies received a special proclamation from MWD to commemorate the historic event. To view photos of the aqueduct being built,
click here.
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BILL PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO INCOME QUALIFIED CUSTOMERS
PWP recognizes that some of our customers may need extra help to pay their utility bills. Through PWP's Electric Utility Assistance Program (EUAP), we offer three income-qualified financial assistance programs for paying electric bills. In addition, PWP also offers the Pasadena Medical Assistance Program to help offset electricity costs associated with home medical equipment. To learn more or to find out if you qualify, click here.
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AN UPDATE ON PASADENA'S NEW POWER SOURCE
For the past two years, PWP has been working to replace the conventional boiler/steam "Broadway 3" turbine with a new 71 MW combined cycle unit, referred to as the Glenarm Power Plant GT-5. Once operational, GT-5 will be the most efficient, least emitting and most flexible unit in its class. In fact, this unit will be the least emitting unit in the country or perhaps in the world of its size. The construction was primarily complete in April 2016 and on schedule, the final stage is taking longer than initially estimated, mainly because of the extensive testing and modifications required to meet air permit conditions. The requirements for the air permit conditions are more stringent than any other power plant in the country for a similarly-sized configuration.
With the GT-5 turbine in place, Pasadena is able to achieve the goals of the city's Power Integrated Resources Plan, which includes a commitment to eliminate the use of coal-based energy by 2027 and to achieve a 60% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 (based on 1990 levels). It provides for a greater amount of local power generation, allowing Pasadena to reduce the delivery costs from and decrease its reliance on non-local energy sources. The project also modernizes the existing power plant and provides flexibility of local power generation. To learn more,
click here.
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To view the electronic version of our Business newsletter - The Conduit, click here.
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