Thomas Young, Sierra Club, thomas.young@sierraclub.org
Glendale, CA – Last night, the Glendale City Council voted to modify the Grayson Repowering Project by directing Glendale Water and Power to prepare the Grayson site for construction of new gas-combustion power plants, but to delay the actual purchase of any new gas units.
The City Council voted to delay the purchase of five gas-combustion engines while it considers alternative energy options. Unfortunately, the City Council did not commit to fully considering pollution-free options. In fact, the Council hardened its commitment to building combustion plants at Grayson, potentially including burning some amount of hydrogen, which would continue the legacy of pollution and environmental injustice at Grayson. Burning hydrogen, even green hydrogen, emits up to six times as much smog-causing nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution as burning gas. NOx pollution can cause serious health effects, including asthma and increased chance of respiratory infections
The City is also continuing to use flawed assumptions about the projected peak load, and the amount of generation required to meet reserve requirements.
Statement from Morgan Goodwin, Senior Director of the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter: “Glendale City Council should have directed staff to come up with a non-combustion option at Glendale, instead of getting caught up in misinformation about hydrogen gas and inflated assumptions about energy demand in Glendale. Burning gas damages the climate, and burning hydrogen damages our health. We need real clean energy solutions in Glendale that eliminate air pollution and provide families with affordable and reliable power.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.