California Residents Search for Renewable Energy Alternatives

Glendale, CA — In Glendale, CA, there is currently a proposal to upgrade a natural gas power plant. However, residents are fighting against it. They are claiming that potential environmental impacts are being understated and a harder look needs to be taken toward sustainable alternatives.

A special meeting was held in Glendale with the water and power commission. Consultants explained the potential impact from noise, hazardous materials, greenhouse gases, and other pollutants from re-powering the Grayson Power Plant.

A proposal to renovate the plant was brought up in 2015. The plant serves 88,000 electric customers. The proposal would make the plant more sustainable.

The proposal is to remove, rebuild, and replace seven of eight electrical generation units. It’s expected that is not fixed now, they will fail within the next ten years.

Residents are not too keen on this plan.

They say that the project is too expensive — $500 million, and is not environmentally friendly enough.

Dan Brotman, a Glendale Community College economics professor formed the Glendale Environmental Coalition. He packed the room with supporters of renewable-energy alternatives.

“We are not a bunch of starry eyed environmentalists. We’re practical people, and we want them to syudy a real serious set of alternatives for the city. We know it’s going to have to be a complicated mix of [renewable and fossil-fuel solutions,” Brotman said in a phone interview with L.A. Times.

Originally published at www.femoran.com on October 24, 2017.