In Controversial Move, LADWP Says It Will Shift Its Largest Gas Power Plant to Hydrogen

The gas-fired Scattergood Generating Station. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) plans to convert part of the plant to hydrogen. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)

The LADWP board approved an $800-million conversion of two units at the Scattergood Generating Station in Playa Del Rey to run on green hydrogen. The utility says the plan is integral to L.A.’s goal of reaching 100% renewable energy by 2035.

The board of the LADWP approved the plan in a 3-0 vote, signing off on the final environmental impact report for the modernization of Units 1 and 2 at Scattergood.

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The power plant dates to the late 1950s and both units are legally required to be shut down by the end of 2029. In their place, LADWP will install new combined-cycle turbines designed to operate on a mixture of natural gas and at least 30% hydrogen, with the goal of running entirely on hydrogen as supply grows.

The hydrogen used at Scattergood is planned to be green, produced by electrolysis. Hydrogen does not emit CO2 when burned, unlike natural gas.

The city-run utility says Scattergood’s conversion is essential to achieving L.A.’s 100% renewable energy goal by 2035.

“This project is critical to LADWP’s clean energy transition as it helps us preserve a key power system asset, meet our clean energy goals, and ensures reliability for our customers,” said David Hanson, Senior Assistant General Manager, LADWP. “The Scattergood modernization project is the No. 1 priority on the power system’s ‘Top 10’ priority list.”

However, several environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, have criticized the plan, arguing it will extend the lifespan of fossil fuel infrastructure instead of prioritizing solar, wind, and battery storage.

Officials noted that LADWP will not produce its own hydrogen but will purchase green hydrogen from suppliers. Jason Rondou, Assistant General Manager of Power Planning and Operations at LADWP, stated that upgrading the units now ensures they are “hydrogen-ready.”

Industry leaders said the project will accelerate hydrogen infrastructure development. “It gives developers, investors, and communities confidence that Los Angeles is ready to lead on clean hydrogen at scale,” said Lorraine Paskett, Chief Operating Officer of First Public Hydrogen Authority, a consortium of California public agencies advancing hydrogen.

Paul Browning, a former executive at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and GE Vernova, emphasized that “you can’t finish the job without green hydrogen or some other long-duration energy storage technology.”

LADWP’s project was expected to receive $100 million from ARCHES (Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems), California’s designated hydrogen hub, before federal funding was cut. The utility said it will proceed with full internal funding.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) supported the plan, noting the lack of economically viable alternatives to new combustion resources at Scattergood. Its findings built on the L.A. 100 study, which identified hydrogen as critical to achieving full decarbonization.

“It’s a good plan,” said Jack Brouwer, Director of the Clean Energy Institute at UC Irvine and member of the L.A. 100 advisory board. “The Scattergood facility and some of the other coastal plants are part of the required infrastructure to enable L.A. 100 to become completely decarbonized.”

LADWP Commissioner Nurit Katz acknowledged the public concerns but affirmed the need for progress: “This project shows how complex and challenging this transition to clean energy is.”

The Scattergood conversion is scheduled for completion by December 2029.