LOS ANGELES, CA, APRIL 20, 2018 -- Los Angeles Councilmember Mitchell Englander announced that he would introduce legislation calling for LADWP to establish floating solar panels on Los Angeles reservoirs.
"Los Angeles is in a unique position to lead the country in the adoption of clean, renewable energy," Councilmember Englander said. "With our geography, our climate, and our city-owned and operated utility, we have all the ingredients we need to push for the wide-use and adoption of solar energy. By co-locating these panels on city owned reservoirs, we eliminate the land-use cost and impacts of traditional solar panels."
According to the State Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), retail sellers and publicly owned utilities are required to procure 50 percent of their electricity from renewable energy resources by 2030.
"LADWP is committed to renewable energy and a big part of putting us on the path to meeting the next milestone of 33 percent renewables by 2020 is investing in good, local projects that create clean energy in our own backyards," said Martin Adams, LADWP's Chief Operating Officer.
The legislation Councilmember Englander introduced calls for a pilot program to test the feasibility of floating solar projects, as they represent an emerging, efficient from of renewable clean energy. By covering the surface of reservoirs, floating solar conserves water by reducing evaporation and prevents harmful algae growth by blocking sunlight.
The initial pilot calls for approximately 11.6 MegaWatts of solar installation on DWP reservoirs, enough energy to power approximately 3,190 homes per year and the offset 15.9 million lbs. of CO2 emissions per year or the equivalent of removing 1,567, cars from the road.
LADWP estimates that Los Angeles Reservoirs have an achievable potential of 53 MW which translates to the electrical use of 21,000 homes annually or the equivalent of taking 10,320 cars off the road.
