South Pasadena Police’s fossil-fuel powered fleet (File Photo – @SouthPasPD)
On September 21st the South Pasadena City Council voted to electrify its entire police fleet in one fell swoop.
By Wesley Reutimann
The decision was part of a larger package of clean energy investments at City Hall that will see the installation of solar panels, battery storage, and electric vehicle chargers for public and municipal use.
According to the South Pasadena police department, no public safety agency in the United States, or world, has transitioned to an all-electric vehicle fleet. When the Police Department replaces their gas-fleet with all-electric Tesla Model Ys and 3s in 2023, it will be among the first law enforcement agencies in the world, if not the first, to successfully retire all their fossil-fuel powered vehicles.
Broad support
The vote was the culmination of months of study, planning, and research by the City’s Police and Public Works Departments. Benefits cited by staff included financial savings associated with the lower operating costs of electric vehicles, reduced air pollution, superior vehicle performance, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. South Pasadena Police Sergeant Anthony Abdalla also highlighted the safety benefits of the Tesla vehicles, noting that both the Model 3 and Y had received the highest vehicle safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and had lower rollover risks than alternative gas models.
The decision was broadly supported by members of the public, as well as local organizations including the League of Women Voters, Coalition for Clean Air, and Sierra Club. The City’s Public Works, Public Safety, and Natural Resources and Environment Commissions also reviewed and supported staff’s recommendation to electrify the fleet. Among the City’s local elected officials, who voted 4-1 in favor of the ambitious step, the initiative was championed by Mayor Michael Cacciotti.
South Pasadena has a track record of leading on health, air quality, and climate issues. In 2016 the City became the first municipality in the United States to transition to all-electric commercial lawn equipment to maintain its public parks and sports fields. As a member of the Clean Power Alliance, South Pasadena was also among the first communities in the nation to adopt a 100% renewable energy standard for residential and commercial customers. And the City was a national leader in adopting local smoke-free housing and outdoor dining policies.
Implementation
Implementation is expected to start in calendar year 2023 with the installation of new vehicle charging courtesy of Southern California Edison’s (SCE) “Charge Ready” program. The SCE program will cover the cost of designing and putting in the infrastructure to support 34 Level 2 electric vehicle chargers at City Hall’s police department, fire department, and employee parking lots. The City will also install a second Level 3 “fast charger” for police department use; City Hall’s first high-speed charging unit has already been installed.
Installation of solar and battery storage at City Hall will be led and financed by the Clean Power Alliance under the Power Ready Program. Carport solar panels will be added to the City’s surface parking lot at the corner of Hope and Mound streets, and connected to a new backup battery storage system at City Hall. The renewable energy system will be able to partially power City Hall in cases of emergency or power outage, as well as support electrical grid resiliency during periods of peak demand.
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