Photo by Terry Miller / Beacon Media News
Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) recently completed the Glenarm Repowering Project, an extensive power plant upgrade that includes the replacement of a 51-year-old steam generating unit, Broadway 3, with a more efficient combined cycle turbine unit known as Gas Turbine 5 (GT-5). GT-5 is the most environmentally “clean” unit in its class, with the lowest emissions limits in the country.
- GT-5 is one of the largest and most complex capital improvements in Pasadena’s history. Pasadena’s ability to generate power locally helps to reduce the city’s exposure to region-wide outages and limitations with imported power supply.
- GT-5 provides a stable source of back-up power that allows PWP to integrate more renewable – but intermittent – energy such as solar and wind.
- GT-5 offers quick-start capability and can generate power within minutes as opposed to the 72-hour start up time needed for Broadway 3.
Local hiring was a priority – Pasadena residents and businesses accounted for 20 percent of the reported certified payroll, and in total more than 400 jobs were created.
