LA city council committee backs controversial Scattergood hydrogen plant.
Food & Water Watch, Ballona Institute, Paul Koretz and others criticized the plan.
A Los Angeles City Council committee has recommended moving forward with a controversial plan to switch the Scattergood Generating Station, a power plant in Playa Del Rey, to green hydrogen instead of natural gas.
The council’s energy committee voted 2-1 to recommend approval of a competitive bid proposal process for the estimated $800 million plan, over the objections of some environmental groups concerned about on the impact of green hydrogen on the climate and lack of transparency from officials.
The city council returned the matter to the committee after it originally waived consideration of the matter. The proposed ordinance would authorize the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to award a contract for the project.
City Council President Paul Krekorian, who sits on the energy committee, called the plan necessary for Los Angeles to achieve its goal of achieving 100% clean energy by 2035.
foul Krekorian The President of the City Council said:
The easiest thing to do is to say, ‘Climate change is a crisis.
“It’s very difficult to figure out: How can we solve climate change in a city of four million people and make sure we can keep the lights on?”
Without Scattergood’s primary source of energy, the city could see energy reliability issues, according to Krekorian.
Krekorian added that the committee only voted on the procurement process, and “not including our vote today means that there will be a hydrogen plant going ahead next month.”
According to a resolution approved by the Board of Water and Power Commissioners last August, the transition to green hydrogen will help the department achieve its goal of transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2035.
But environmental groups are pushing back. According to Food & Water Watch, hydrogen still produces climate-threatening emissions, requires more than 122 million gallons of water to run the plant and costs more than solar, wind or battery storage.
Jasmin Vargas, senior policy advisor at Food & Water Watch, told City News Service that she believes the community is being cut out of the process. He said officials did not provide details about the amount of emissions that would be released, the impact on nearby residents and how the hydrogen would be stored.
Jasmin Vargas said:
That is very worrying.
“There are easy questions that we have asked that we still don’t have answers to. So how did (the committee) pass this without solutions, those answers or are there alternatives?
Vargas called the process of passing the ordinance “persistent institutional racism,” the result of which disproportionately affects Black and Brown communities. He wants an alternative energy source that doesn’t burn hydrogen, and closes four DWP plants in the Los Angeles Basin.
“We want all the energy to come from real renewable energy sources and community-driven solutions,” Vargas said.
Outgoing council member Councilman Paul Koretz voted against the item, saying the committee was “jumping the gun” with green hydrogen. He said lobbyists from SoCalGas “looked me in the eye and told me they intended to use hydrogen to keep the methane flowing as long as possible,” citing his lack of confidence in SoCalGas.
Paul Koretz Member of the Council of the council, said:
I think we have to make the hard decision and the hard choices and do the work, but I’m not there yet.
Marcia Hanscom, executive director of the Ballona Institute – a group that works to preserve the Ballona Wetlands in Playa de Rey – said that Playa del Rey already has a gas storage facility that is dangerous to the environment and the surrounding neighborhood. The city council last year called for the closure of the facility.
Hanscom said that if SoCalGas’ plan is to continue using methane gas while mixing it with hydrogen, “there’s no need to have a facility with more explosive hydrogen components added to it.”
Councilman Mike Bonin, who represents the Westside, submitted a letter to the energy committee expressing concerns about the project. Bonin stated that the full environmental impact of green hydrogen is “unclear” because it requires raw energy materials.
Bonin said hydrogen projects are supported by oil and gas companies, which may be hoping to integrate hydrogen into their operations.
Councilmember Mike Bonin said:
We require clear guarantees that all raw materials used by Scattergood come from 100% renewable energy sources.
Bonin suggested narrowing the definition of green hydrogen to exclude hydrogen fusion and combustion, and requiring all bidders for the contractor to detail environmental justice impacts.
The councilor also called on any proposal to take into account the effects on communities of color, stating that the infrastructure could take away the space for parks, canopies and other community areas “that are very necessary to reduce the different effects of climate change.”
“It’s especially about the CD 11 communities that surround the site,” Bonin said.
Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, who chairs the committee but will also step down soon, said the matter was “reviewed, and correct.” He said he delayed considering the matter for months to give more time for dialogue and outreach to environmental groups.
O’Farrell said the goal is for Los Angeles to “define green hydrogen for the country, making sure it’s truly 100% carbon-free, produced by electrolysis from renewable sources.” The plan moves Los Angeles to completely phase out fossil fuels in Los Angeles, O’Farrell added.
O’Farrell said that those who claim that green hydrogen uses dirty energy because combustion is involved have fallen for the “unintentional spread of inaccurate information” that is “so prevalent on social media channels. “
Marcelo DiPaolo, power engineering manager at the DWP, told the committee that hydrogen burns at a lower temperature, reducing emissions.
The committee heard from several representatives of environmental groups asking for more scrutiny before the project goes ahead.
read the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Hydrogen Central
LA city council committee backs controversial Scattergood hydrogen plant, December 1, 2022
