On Aug. 4, the Los Angeles City Council approved a plan allowing LADWP to move forward with a roughly $1 billion retrofit of the Scattergood power plant to burn a hydrogen-and-natural-gas blend, rejecting an appeal 10-3. Critics say the project risks locking residents into higher utility bills, prolonging pollution in nearby communities, and relying on an uncertain hydrogen supply after the Angeles Link pipeline collapsed. Environmental and community groups urge faster deployment of local solar and battery storage as a lower-risk path to the city's 2035 renewable-energy goal.
Los Angeles Greenlights $1B Hydrogen-Blend Retrofit at Scattergood — Critics Warn of Higher Bills, Pollution and Uncertain Supply
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Los Angeles is moving forward with a contentious energy project after the City Council on Aug. 4 voted to allow the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to pursue an estimated $1 billion retrofit of the Scattergood power plant so it can burn a hydrogen-and-natural-gas blend.
Council Vote and Political Positions
The council rejected an appeal of LADWP’s environmental review by a 10-3 vote. Councilmembers Katy Yaroslavsky, Nithya Raman and Eunisses Hernandez supported the appeal; Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez did not participate because of investments tied to hydrogen energy.
What LADWP Says
LADWP announced the conversion plan in 2022, framing the retrofit as a transitional step to help Los Angeles reach its 100% renewable-energy mandate by 2035. The upgrade would enable Scattergood to operate on a blend of hydrogen and methane while the city expands clean resources.
Key Concerns From Opponents
Critics question whether the project is a true bridge to clean power or simply an expensive rebrand of fossil-fuel infrastructure. Their central concerns include:
- Uncertain Hydrogen Supply: The collapse of the proposed Angeles Link hydrogen pipeline has raised doubts about whether sufficient hydrogen will be available to justify the retrofit.
- Higher Costs for Ratepayers: Opponents say investing roughly $1 billion in gas-compatible infrastructure could lead to higher long-term utility bills and divert funds from cleaner resources.
- Water Use: Ben Harris of Los Angeles Waterkeeper warned that hydrogen production can be highly water-intensive at a time when many Angelenos worry about water reliability.
- Health and Pollution: Communities near Scattergood — including Inglewood, Hawthorne and Lennox — fear prolonged exposure to air pollution from continued fossil-fuel operations.
- Financial Risk: Large investments tied to gas risk becoming stranded assets as the economy shifts toward low-carbon technologies.
"The City Council just hit residents with 50 years of higher rates to pay for a fossil-fueled facility that will be obsolete the day it opens," said David Pettit of the Climate Law Institute at the Center for Biological Diversity.
Alternatives and Advocates
A coalition including the Sierra Club, Los Angeles Waterkeeper, Food & Water Watch, Communities for a Better Environment, Physicians for Social Responsibility — Los Angeles, and the Center for Biological Diversity pushed the appeal and continue to advocate for accelerated deployment of proven clean technologies.
Advocates argue the city could protect grid reliability and better align with the 2035 goal by increasing investments in local solar, distributed generation and battery storage, which they say would also create local clean-energy jobs and reduce exposure to volatile fossil-fuel prices.
What’s Next
With the council vote, LADWP can proceed with planning and permitting for the Scattergood retrofit, but the debate is likely to continue in public forums, regulatory reviews and potential legal challenges. The outcome will shape ratepayer costs, local air quality and the pace at which Los Angeles transitions to its 2035 renewable target.
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