California city turns 5-site solar pilot into 27-facility push for carbon-free power by 2030

Pasadena plans to grow its city-run solar effort from a five-site pilot into a 27-facility program. The expansion would turn more city-owned rooftops and properties into local power sources as Pasadena works toward its 2030 goal for carbon-free electricity.

What's happening?

On Tuesday, the City Council's Municipal Services Committee received an informational update — with no action requested — on a larger version of the city's Municipal Solar Program, based on a city staff report cited by Pasadena Now.

Rather than remaining a five-location pilot, the program is now described as a 27-facility effort split into two procurement rounds. The first round covers 13 sites staff sees as the best near-term candidates, while 14 more are being saved for a later phase. 

For that first group of sites, Pasadena Water and Power issued a request for proposals on July 23, Pasadena Now reported, with completion targeted for June 2028. Staff expects to launch the next procurement in October, aiming to finish that round by June 2029.

The project is part of the city's wider strategy to achieve carbon-free electricity by the end of 2030, a timetable that is 15 years earlier than the statewide target.

Why does it matter?

Expanding solar on municipal facilities could reduce electricity expenses, strengthen grid reliability, and add clean generation without relying only on private homeowners to install panels.

Pasadena Now reported that the earlier pilot — at the Lamanda Park, San Rafael, Allendale, and Linda Vista branch libraries, along with the City Maintenance Yards — represented about 0.68 megawatts of the city's 20-megawatt municipal solar goal.

What's being done?

Before moving to a design-build procurement model, the city put out a request for information covering solar and battery storage at 21 municipal facilities. Pasadena Now said 12 industry firms responded, helping staff sharpen technical planning and cost estimates, and officials said the larger program also grew out of additional analysis and coordination across departments.

The committee presentation is also expected to address how the city would preserve tree cover, manage parking and traffic, maintain public access, and deal with site-specific constraints. Pasadena Now reported that staff will also review projected solar capacity and explain how locations were evaluated.

The initiative has been folded into the city's Fiscal Year 2027-31 Capital Improvement Program, which recommends about $90 million over five years for phased municipal solar construction.

Municipal Services Committee Chair Justin Jones cast the effort as both a climate and equity matter, saying, "Pasadena has to lead by example," and "clean energy can't just be for residents who can afford solar on their own homes."

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