The restrictions will come back to the council next week in the form of a final draft ordinance that could either be adopted and take affect immediately, or 30 days later.
In doing so, the council will create a new chapter in Glendale’s political history, albeit one that carries less bite than some proponents had sought. Councilman Ara Najarian had pushed for a $250 donor limit, but the majority of his colleagues argued fresh challengers will need the $1,000 ceiling to quickly catch up to incumbents who already have tens of thousands of dollars in the bank.
The city’s largest solar energy project was officially unveiled Monday atop the new Glendale Community College parking structure, one week after the $2.9-million system started delivering direct electricity to the campus.
Glendale Water & Power’s photovoltaic system is expected to generate an average 390,000 kilowatt hours of electricity each year, or about 10% of the college’s annual energy consumption.
Electricity generated from the 872 solar panels is fed directly to the campus, bypassing the city’s power grid. The 50-year agreement provides the college — which will be charged regular rates for the solar power — with a little short-term financial benefit, but catapults the campus to the “forefront of the solar movement” in Glendale, city officials said.
Utility officials are keenly aware of the marketing possibilities that come with owning one of the largest private-public solar projects in the state. Its location just off the Glendale (2) Freeway also means visibility beyond brochures as officials continue in their efforts to recruit commercial property owners into the solar program.
