The Los Angeles City Council approved the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s proposal to retrofit the Scattergood Gas Plant in a vote held this afternoon. The project would enable the facility to operate using a mixture of hydrogen and natural gas, with an estimated cost of approximately one billion dollars.
Environmental organizations and advocates opposed the decision, arguing that the retrofit contradicts the city’s commitment to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2035. Critics contended that the hydrogen component of the plan remains uncertain, particularly following the cancellation of the Angeles Link hydrogen pipeline project, which would have supplied hydrogen to the facility. Without a reliable hydrogen source, opponents stated the plant would effectively function as a natural gas facility, perpetuating dependence on fossil fuels.
The City Council rejected an appeal filed by environmental groups seeking to challenge the department’s Environmental Impact Report in a 10-3 vote. Three council members—Yaroslavsky, Raman, and Hernandez—voted in favor of granting the appeal, while Councilmember Soto-Martinez recused himself due to personal investments in hydrogen energy. Opponents raised concerns about hydrogen production’s intensive water requirements amid climate-related water availability challenges, as well as air quality impacts on nearby communities including Inglewood, Hawthorne, and Lennox.
Environmental organizations contended that alternative solutions exist, such as expanded investments in local solar power and energy storage systems, which could achieve renewable energy targets more cost-effectively and without straining water resources. Groups including the Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, Food & Water Watch, and others characterized the decision as a significant setback for the city’s climate objectives and criticized the substantial financial commitment to fossil fuel infrastructure at a time when clean energy alternatives are increasingly available.
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