The Court of Appeal of the State of California, Second Appellate District, Division Five, has affirmed the Superior Court of Los Angeles County’s judgment in favor of the City of Glendale concluding that the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the Grayson Power Plant Repowering Project met the California Environmental Quality Act’s (CEQA) requirements to accurately describe the project scope and physical characteristics. ​The court found that the FEIR provided sufficient information for decision-makers and the public to understand the project’s environmental impacts and alternatives. This decision supports the City Council’s approval of the project, which aims to replace outdated power generators with modern, state-of-the-art equipment. ​
Key findings of the court include:

1. Accurate Project Description: The FEIR’s project description was accurate and compliant with CEQA, ensuring that the anticipated environmental impacts were neither minimized nor understated. ​
2. Reserve Capacity Requirements: Substantial evidence supporting Glendale Water and Power’s obligation to maintain sufficient reserve capacity and the FEIR transparently addressed the dispute over reserve requirements. ​
3. Environmental Justice Analysis: The court concluded that CEQA does not mandate an analysis of a project’s impacts on environmental justice communities, validating the EIR’s discussion on this issue. ​

The City of Glendale’s Repowering Project will replace 238 megawatts (MW) of old, inefficient generation equipment with approximately 55 MW of modern, efficient generating equipment and 75 MW of four-hour duration batteries to provide flexible and local resource to backup and supplement the city’s primary source of imported power.
“We are pleased with the court’s decision, which allows us to move forward with this critical project to ensure a reliable and sustainable energy future for Glendale,” said Glendale City Attorney Michael Garcia. “​The Repowering Project will not only improve our power infrastructure but – by providing more flexible generation – will also support our commitment to integrating increased local and imported renewable energy sources.” ​

For more information, contact City Attorney Mike Garcia at (818) 548-2080.