Resilience Scanner

Clean Energy Smart Grid with Renewable Integration and Storage

Solution Overview

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is developing a comprehensive clean energy and smart grid infrastructure designed to maintain reliability during future climate impacts and hazards.[3] This approach integrates utility-scale renewable energy generation, advanced battery storage, distributed energy resources, grid modernization technologies, and wildfire mitigation measures to ensure resilient power delivery across the city.[2][4] The implementation combines large-scale solar facilities, hydrogen-ready generation capacity, advanced metering infrastructure, and extensive grid hardening in high fire threat districts to protect against extreme weather events and climate-driven disruptions.[1][6]

Technical Components

The infrastructure includes the Eland Solar-plus-Storage Center, LADWP's first utility-scale integrated solar and battery project featuring two large-scale solar facilities that capture a combined 400 megawatts of solar energy and store up to 1,200 megawatt-hours of energy.[2] The system can distribute stored solar energy to customers to meet peak demand in evening and night-time hours when solar energy is unavailable by discharging solar power after the sun has gone down.[2] LADWP is developing green hydrogen-ready capability at the Scattergood Generating Station in Playa del Rey to ensure reliability during extreme heat conditions or power and transmission losses from outside the area.[4] The utility operates approximately 3,600 circuit miles of transmission lines, with over 7,000 miles of overhead distribution lines and over 4,000 miles of underground distribution lines across its service territory.[1] Within high fire threat districts, LADWP has 450 miles of overhead distribution lines in Tier 2 HFTD and 15 miles in Tier 3 HFTD, totaling 465 miles in HFTDs.[1] The system includes 250 miles of underground distribution lines in Tier 2 HFTD and 5 miles in Tier 3 HFTD, totaling 255 miles in HFTDs.[1] Transmission infrastructure in high-risk areas comprises 120 miles of overhead transmission lines in Tier 2 HFTD and 2 miles in Tier 3 HFTD, totaling 122 miles in HFTDs.[1] The utility maintains 15,000 distribution poles in Tier 2 HFTD and 500 in Tier 3 HFTD, totaling 15,500 distribution poles in HFTDs, along with 800 transmission towers in Tier 2 HFTD and 10 in Tier 3 HFTD, totaling 810 transmission towers in HFTDs.[1]

Advanced metering infrastructure provides the technological foundation for grid modernization, with LADWP planning to deploy 1.5 million smart energy meters by 2031 to modernize service and align with California's clean energy transition.[7] The utility is deploying a radio frequency mesh communication network as the backbone of advanced metering infrastructure to provide network support for advanced meters and devices and ensure complete network coverage of its service territory.[6] Distribution automation devices, such as line sensors and automatic reclosers, provide visibility into the electric grid and monitor and detect abnormal distribution system behavior.[6] A data management system manages and stores advanced metering infrastructure data and provides this information to key personnel to enable them to make informed decisions.[6] The utility began installing advanced meters in Fall 2025, which replace existing electromechanical, radiofrequency, and cellular meters.[6] Advanced meters transmit customer meter and usage information through a secure network that implements security technologies, such as data encryption, to ensure information is kept safe and secure.[6] For the past three years, LADWP has been automating its distribution system to prepare for advanced metering deployment.[6]

The platform enables LADWP to create one single platform where distributed energy resources like electric vehicles and EV chargers, energy storage, solar photovoltaic systems, and demand response infrastructure can be controlled in response to grid needs.[3] The utility is building out local solar and batteries, electric vehicle charging, microgrids, and other small-scale distributed energy resources.[4] The Green Meadows Grid Resiliency Project includes the installation of 50 kW of solar panels on the Green Meadows Recreation Center, 182 kW solar carports that provide shading, four electric vehicle charging stations, and an on-site 250kW/2MWh battery storage unit.[5] The installation of solar and battery allows the Green Meadows Recreation Center to operate independently from LA's power grid and can be used as a cooling center for local residents during an outage or emergency.[5]

Grid hardening specifications include covered conductor installations, with LADWP installing 25 circuit miles of covered conductor in HFTDs in 2024 and planning to install an additional 30 circuit miles of covered conductor in high-risk areas in 2025.[1] The utility replaced 200 wood poles with steel poles in HFTDs in 2024 and plans to replace 250 wood poles in HFTDs in 2025.[1] LADWP replaced 1,500 expulsion fuses in HFTDs in 2024 and plans to replace an additional 1,800 expulsion fuses in 2025.[1] The utility plans to install 50 new advanced reclosers and upgrade settings on existing devices in HFTDs in 2025.[1] Vegetation management standards require LADWP to maintain 12 feet radial clearance at time of trim and 4 feet minimum allowable clearance between conductors and vegetation in HFTDs.[1] The utility inspects vegetation in Tier 3 HFTD annually and in Tier 2 HFTD annually.[1] All circuits in HFTDs are inspected with infrared technology annually.[1]

Monitoring infrastructure includes weather stations and fire cameras, with LADWP planning to install 10 new weather stations in HFTD areas to improve the granularity of weather data in 2025.[1] The utility plans to partner with LAFD and other agencies to install 5 new cameras in locations that provide coverage of LADWP's HFTD areas in 2025.[1] LADWP conducts detailed visual inspections of all overhead distribution and transmission assets in Tier 3 HFTD annually and in Tier 2 HFTD annually.[1]

Implementation Details

The Eland project is a collaboration between LADWP and Arevon Energy, Inc. under a long-term power purchase agreement, with an average cost of generation and storage of about 4 cents per kilowatt hour.[2] The project has been in the works since 2019, when L.A. first signed power purchase agreements with renewable energy developer Arevon Energy Inc.[8] L.A. has a 25-year contract to purchase electricity at a record low cost—about 4 cents per kilowatt hour.[8] Over the 25-year term of the contract, the Eland power purchase agreement will save LADWP's ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars.[2] Eland is located in the Barren Ridge renewable energy corridor in Mojave and is the latest addition to L.A.'s several clean energy sources from this corridor, sourcing solar and wind energy and transmitting it to Los Angeles.[2] The sprawling field of solar panels and batteries in the Mojave Desert is now one of the country's largest and will sell power to the cities of L.A. and Glendale.[8]

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was approved to receive $48 million to enhance LADWP's grid flexibility, improve the resilience of the power system against growing threats of extreme weather and climate change, and ensure Los Angeles has access to affordable, reliable, clean electricity throughout all areas of the city.[3] The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Smart Grid Regional Demonstration Project is a five-year, $120.3 million project that is demonstrating a wide range of Smart Grid technologies and applications.[10] The project is funded in part by a $60.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.[10] In the spring of 2013, LADWP collaborated with the U.S. Department of Energy and a consortium of the region's top research institutions, including USC, UCLA, and JPL, for the Smart Grid LA program.[6] The Smart Grid LA program installed 52,000 smart meters and related technologies in an effort to increase energy efficiency.[6]

The Green Meadows Grid Resiliency Project is a pilot project under LADWP's Utility Built Solar program, which is being completed in partnership with the Department of Recreation and Parks.[5] It is the first of many resilient centers as outlined in former LA Mayor Garcetti's Green New Deal.[5] An LADWP-commissioned workshop in June 2025, developed and hosted by UCLA, brought together more than 100 utility representatives, technology innovators, academic researchers, public sector leaders, and consultants to identify potential implementation strategies for strengthening water and power infrastructure.[7] Many of the ideas developed at the workshop are already informing LADWP requests for proposals and pilot projects.[7]

LADWP has invested significantly in the proactive replacement and upgrade of aging and undersized electrical equipment, with approximately $1.4 billion budgeted in FY 2023-24.[9] This past year LADWP's Power System invested $1.1 million to accelerate inspection, maintenance, repairs and replacement of electrical equipment, hire essential personnel, proactively trim trees encroaching on power lines, and other measures to ensure reliability and resilience of the power system.[9] Through the Power System Reliability Program, LADWP proactively inspects power equipment to identify needed repairs related to distribution, substation, transmission, and generation infrastructure that is the backbone of L.A.'s power grid.[9]

The Power Strategic Long-Term Resource Plan has a 25-year planning horizon while also transitioning to 100% carbon-free power by 2035 at the earliest.[4] LADWP is continuing to expand large-scale renewable energy resources, energy storage, and needed transmission capacity to bring clean energy into Los Angeles.[4] Within LADWP's service territory, approximately 65 square miles are designated as Tier 2 HFTD and 1 square mile is designated as Tier 3 HFTD.[1] LADWP updates its Wildfire Mitigation Plan each year to keep customers safe and power service reliable and resilient.[9]

Implementation challenges emerged following recent wildfire events, with the January 2025 fires exposing limits in existing risk management tools, leading participants to call for advanced modeling, real-time monitoring, and risk-based prioritization to help utilities target investments in grid hardening, vegetation management, and emergency planning.[7] Currently LADWP's electric grid relies on customer calls to detect outages and has limited visibility into the system and its behaviors.[6]

Benefits and Impacts

The Eland Solar-plus-Storage Center project alone will generate enough power to serve more than 266,000 homes in Los Angeles and push the city's clean energy share above 60 percent, a major milestone in L.A.'s transition to being powered by 100% clean energy by 2035.[2] The project is forecasted to help L.A. reach 64 percent clean energy by the end of 2025.[2] Officials said this new project is expected to help L.A. reach 64% clean energy sources by the end of the year.[8] Officials say the new power plant can meet 7% of L.A.'s energy needs.[8] The Eland Solar-plus-Storage Center near the city of Mojave can generate enough energy to serve more than 260,000 households.[8] The new power plant also has batteries the size of shipping containers, so the DWP can use cheaper solar energy during high-demand evening hours.[8] In 2022—the latest year for which data is available—L.A. got about 36% of its energy from renewable sources, such as solar and wind, 35% from natural gas, about 13% from nuclear and coal, and 4% from hydropower.[8]

The Green Meadows project will generate 305 megawatt-hours of solar power annually during normal conditions, which is equivalent to powering 54 homes or taking 22 cars off the road or avoiding 87 tons of Carbon Dioxide.[5] Advanced metering infrastructure will provide increased visibility into LADWP's electric grid and help make informed decisions on system upgrades and planning, equipment replacement, energy demand behavior, outage management, severe weather events, and more.[6] Advanced metering infrastructure will modernize the electric grid, improve the reliability and resiliency of LADWP's distribution system, and support emerging green initiatives and technology.[6] Advanced metering infrastructure data will help LADWP accurately determine how energy can be most efficiently distributed by knowing when and where the power is needed.[6] Advanced metering infrastructure builds the foundation to support green initiatives and technology such as distributed energy resources and demand response.[6] Smart meters give utilities and customers real-time data on energy and water use, and during disasters, AMI can support outage tracking and grid management.[7]

LADWP's Power System ranked in first quartile for system interruption frequency and duration, based on 2022 benchmarking study.[9] The utility overhauled a real-time electronic outage map and implemented new policies to keep customers informed about outages.[9] The platform will enable LADWP to quickly rebalance the electrical system after an extreme climate event like wildfires, heatwaves, or tropical storms.[3]

Wildfire mitigation performance targets for 2025 include 0 LADWP-caused ignitions in HFTDs.[1] LADWP's 2025 WMP targets 100% of HFTD overhead assets with completed detailed inspections, 100% of HFTD circuits with completed IR inspections, and average time to correct high-priority, fire-risk deficiencies of less than 30 days.[1] In 2024, LADWP inspected 100% of overhead distribution and transmission assets in HFTDs.[1] The utility plans to inspect 100% of overhead assets in HFTDs and complete all high-priority repairs within 30 days in 2025.[1] LADWP's 2025 WMP targets 100% of HFTD distribution circuits with completed annual vegetation inspections, 500 hazardous trees removed, and 0 vegetation-related ignitions in HFTDs.[1] In 2024, LADWP inspected and trimmed vegetation along all distribution and transmission lines in HFTDs.[1] The utility plans to complete annual inspection and trimming cycles for all HFTD areas and remove an estimated 500 hazardous trees that pose a threat to power lines in 2025.[1]

Climate Adaptation Relevance

This infrastructure addresses multiple climate hazards including extreme heat, wildfires, and severe weather events that threaten power system reliability. The green hydrogen-ready capability at Scattergood Generating Station ensures reliability during extreme heat conditions or power and transmission losses from outside the area.[4] Grid hardening measures in high fire threat districts, including covered conductor installations, steel pole replacements, and enhanced vegetation management, directly mitigate wildfire ignition risks in areas designated as Tier 2 and Tier 3 HFTDs.[1] The platform enables LADWP to quickly rebalance the electrical system after an extreme climate event like wildfires, heatwaves, or tropical storms.[3]

Business Analysis

The renewable energy market demonstrates strong cost competitiveness, with the Eland project securing a 25-year power purchase agreement at approximately 4 cents per kilowatt hour, representing a record low cost for electricity procurement.[2][8] Over the 25-year term of the contract, the Eland power purchase agreement will save LADWP's ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars.[2] The project structure involves collaboration between LADWP and Arevon Energy, Inc., with Arevon serving as the developer, owner, and operator of Eland under a long-term power purchase agreement.[2]

Federal and state policy support provides substantial financial backing for grid modernization initiatives. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was approved to receive $48 million to enhance LADWP's grid flexibility, improve the resilience of the power system against growing threats of extreme weather and climate change, and ensure Los Angeles has access to affordable, reliable, clean electricity throughout all areas of the city.[3] The Smart Grid Regional Demonstration Project received $60.1 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Energy under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, contributing to a total five-year, $120.3 million project demonstrating a wide range of Smart Grid technologies and applications.[10] These federal investments complement municipal capital budgets, with LADWP allocating approximately $1.4 billion in FY 2023-24 for proactive replacement and upgrade of aging and undersized electrical equipment.[9]

The financing model combines public-private partnerships, federal grants, and ratepayer-funded capital investments to support infrastructure development. The utility invested $1.1 million to accelerate inspection, maintenance, repairs and replacement of electrical equipment, hire essential personnel, proactively trim trees encroaching on power lines, and other measures to ensure reliability and resilience of the power system.[9] The Green Meadows Grid Resiliency Project operates as a pilot project under LADWP's Utility Built Solar program, completed in partnership with the Department of Recreation and Parks, demonstrating municipal collaboration models for distributed energy resource deployment.[5]

Market development benefits from collaborative research and development partnerships. In the spring of 2013, LADWP collaborated with the U.S. Department of Energy and a consortium of the region's top research institutions, including USC, UCLA, and JPL, for the Smart Grid LA program.[6] An LADWP-commissioned workshop in June 2025, developed and hosted by UCLA, brought together more than 100 utility representatives, technology innovators, academic researchers, public sector leaders, and consultants to identify potential implementation strategies for strengthening water and power infrastructure.[7] Many of the ideas developed at the workshop are already informing LADWP requests for proposals and pilot projects.[7]

Sources