LA To Phase Out 3 Natural Gas Plants, Replace Them With Clean Energy

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Tuesday that over the next 10 years, L.A. will be phasing out natural gas operations at three coastal power plants, a step towards moving the city away from fossil fuel dependence.

Garcetti said that the Scattergood, Haynes and Harbor plants -- which are operated by the L.A. Department of Gas and Electric – will be abandoned in favor of renewable energy sources.

LADWP had initially planned to rebuild the three plants, which currently account for 38 percent of the city's natural gas supply, but now will not.

"Over the next decade we will phase out operations at these three plants, all-together talking about more than one-third of our natural gas portfolio," Garcetti said at a news conference Tuesday. "This is the beginning of the end of natural gas at the L.A. Department of Water and Power."

The city plans on phasing out the three units by 2029 and replacing their supply with 100 percent clean energy. LADWP is working with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to study ways it can replace the power generated by fossil fuels with renewable energy.

Garcetti has set a goal of the year 2050 for making Los Angeles carbon neutral, which means that it produces a net-zero carbon emissions.

It's unclear what exactly will happen with the plants once they close in a decade. There is also no estimate on whether the switch to renewable energy will cost ratepayers more.