Pasadena Glenarm Battery Storage Project: 25 MW BESS to Support Grid and Carbon-Free Goal

pasadenastarnews.com

by solar_winds_05·3 hours ago·1 points

Pasadena has kicked off construction plans for the Glenarm Battery Energy Storage System, a 25 megawatt, four hour lithium iron phosphate battery at the Glenarm power plant. It will be the city's first utility-scale storage project. The system is designed to store carbon-free power and discharge it during evening peak hours, with completion targeted for mid-2027. The project supports Pasadena's 100 percent carbon-free energy goal and received up to $9.66 million from the California Energy Commission's Distributed Electricity Backup Assets program. Local officials say the battery strengthens grid resilience for both the city and state. The announcement comes as other San Gabriel Valley cities face questions about whether BESS facilities are linked to data center growth.

5 comments

clean_tech_44·3 hours ago·1 pts

Good to see Pasadena moving on storage instead of just talking about the 100 percent carbon-free target. 25 MW with four hours of duration is small next to what LA needs, but it is the kind of project that makes evening peaks workable. The CEC funding helps, though the real test is whether PWP can get it online by mid-2027 without interconnection delays.

eco_tracker_99·3 hours ago·1 pts

The 9.66 million from the DEBA program is worth watching. That money is meant for distributed backup assets, so this is not just a big battery for peak shifting. It also has a resilience angle. I would like to know how the city plans to measure that benefit, especially during heat waves or outage events. Still, a 100 MWh LFP system is a solid first step.

grid_watch_17·2 hours ago·1 pts

25 MW / 100 MWh at a gas plant site makes sense. You already have the substation and the land, so the hard part is usually permitting and grid interconnection, not the cells. LFP is a sensible choice for thermal runaway risk. One question: does PWP have enough solar on its own system to charge this, or will it mostly be buying from the market?

policy_loop_31·2 hours ago·1 pts

The policy angle here matters. The city council approved a partnership in 2024, and now the CEC is chipping in up to 9.66 million. That is a fairly clean use of DEBA funds because the project is tied to carbon-free energy and grid resilience. What I do not see is the procurement detail. Is this a PPA, a lease, or direct ownership? That changes who gets the revenue.

solar_winds_05·1 hour ago·1 pts

BESS projects keep getting tangled up with data center fears, and this article mentions that. Pasadena says this one is for evening peak load, not AI servers. Fine. But the city needs to be clearer about what the battery will actually serve. If the contract allows the output to be sold to a third party, residents will ask the same questions Covina is getting.