McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Sam Berndt
Sunday, March 10, 2024 1:59 PM
Gordo, Victor; hlampton, Tyron; Williams, Felicia; Jones, Justin; Masuda, Gene; Rivas, Jessica; Lyon, Jason; Madison, Steve; PublicComment-AutoResponse Cynthia Cannady; Genette Foster
PASADENA 100 - 3/11 City Council Meeting Public Comment - Agenda Item #9 - Comments and Questions on Emergency Repair to Gas Turbine #5 CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you know the content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. Learn more....
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,
Item #9 on the Consent Calendar for the March 1 1 City Council Meeting is a request to approve an "emergency purchase where the expenditure exceeds $75,000". Not stated in the agenda item is the fact that PWP is requesting emergency approval for $2,285,420 to repair Gas Turbine 5 of the Glenarm Power Plant, for a mechanical failure which occurred in Late October 2023. General Electric (GE), the manufacturer of this 7-year old turbine, removed the engine on February 19, 2024. It is currently at the GE repair facility in Houston TX. While the preliminary schedule shows the repaired engine returning to operation in early September 2024, staff hopes to return the engine to service sooner.
According to Resolution 9977, the operations of this gas turbine should be terminated by December 31st, 2030, approximately another 7 years. The staff memo does not even mention our city's policy mandate to transition from carbon based electric power by December 2030.
Before the Council makes a decision to approve this request, we encourage you to require PWP to address the following questions:
1. Alternatives. Are there any other ways to source electricity to replace the electricity provided by this defective "peaker" plant without committing good money after bad? Especially since the return of the defective turbine cannot be assured until September, PWP must have some ideas about sourcing peak load electricity during the summer months.
2. Risks. Did the failure of the turbine, including "high lube oil temperatures" and "carbon and metallic traces in the combustion system" present a public safety risk? What assurances does Pasadena have 1 3/11/2024
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that this defect will not be repeated? Is there regular monitoring of gas leaks and other public safety threats at GLenarm?
3. Transparency. Why is this item only now being brought before the Council and the public, at least four months after the defect was known?
We believe that the public has a right to know the answers to these questions. We urge the Council to require PWP to respond to the questions above so that the Council can make an informed and responsible decision.
Sincerely,
Sam Berndt, Cynthia Cannady, Genette Foster
On behalf of PASADENA 1 00
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