The City Council approved a $55-million contract for the Glenarm Power Plant Repowering Project last week.

Photo by Terry Miller

The contract was awarded to ARB, Inc., which posted the lowest bid of $55,661,973. ARB will provide the design and construction of the project covering the replacement of a conventional boiler/steam turbine-generating Broadway unit used by the City since 1965.
A Pasadena Water and Power Dept. staff report said the old unit will be replaced with a new combined cycle unit called GT-5 set to reduce the city’s fuel consumption and emissions, and lower the city’s carbon footprint. The new unit is expected to be operational by May or June 2016.
“This is a very important project for the city in terms of reliability, in terms of reducing green house gasses and keeping our costs down,” said Margaret McAustin, Pasadena City Council member for District 2.
The project was adopted in March 2009 as part of the City Council’s Integrated Resource Plan, a 20-year program that aims to deliver “reliable and environmentally responsible electricity at competitive rates.”
The project will be funded as a part of Pasadena’s Capital Improvement Program. The city will issue bonds to finance part of the project, officials said.
Information from PWP’s website says that the Glenarm Repowering Project will apply the “Pasadena First-Buy Local,” a city program that ensures maximum efforts are made to hire locally.
Local business and residents will be given contracting and hiring opportunities through the city’s Local Participation Plan, which calls for 15 percent of the subcontracting and procurement on the project to be satisfied by Pasadena businesses, and 25 percent of the payroll to be satisfied by Pasadena residents.

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