Pasadena Begins $73.18 Million Underground Cable Replacement on Oct. 19: Five Miles of Lines Upgraded by Summer 2027
PASADENA — Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) begins work October 19 on a $73.18 million project to replace five miles of aging subtransmission cables between the Santa Anita and Glenarm receiving stations, installing higher-capacity lines to modernize the grid for the city's goal of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030. Completion is expected in summer 2027.
Cable purchases account for $43.952 million of the budget. PWP notes copper makes up about 75% of those material costs, a figure affected by the 50% federal tariff on copper that took effect August 1, 2025. During the roughly six-month de-energization period, the city will rely on internal generation — including the 71-megawatt GT-5 unit at the Glenarm Power Plant — to maintain service, and no customer outages are anticipated.
Crews will work weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., removing old cables and installing the new lines section by section. Residents should expect localized traffic controls near the construction corridor, with closures at each affected location lasting one to two days.
PWP is Pasadena's community-owned utility, providing water and electricity within the city. The upgraded cables form a backbone of the local grid, adding capacity for future renewable integration and demand growth. (GSM, based on Pasadena Water and Power project information)
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Pasadena 市政厅（资料图）。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，公有领域。Photo: Pasadena City Hall (file photo). Source: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
