The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) plans to build a long-delayed and controversial power distribution station on land between residential homes and the local public school in Pacific Palisades, Breitbart News has learned.
Two sources at LADWP confirmed that there are plans to build the distribution station as part of the general project of rebuilding of the neighborhood, which was almost entirely destroyed by the recent Palisades Fire.
(This author’s home sits adjacent to the LADWP’s lot and survived the fire, with the help of neighbors and sheer luck.)
LADWP has tried to build on its land, which it seized via eminent domain, for more than half a century. However, it has always faced stiff opposition from neighbors, and from the families of the Marquez Charter Elementary School.
Two years ago, LADWP sought to revive the idea of building a distribution station, citing the growing demand for electricity in the neighborhood, especially with the rising use of electric vehicles (EVs) and Tesla Powerwall batteries.
(EVs and Powerwalls have become major sources of hazardous material since the fire and are currently being removed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which estimates it will complete the work in three months.)
In 2023, LADWP dropped the idea. But now, in the aftermath of the fire, and with residents evacuated for the moment, it is moving ahead with the project. A new design for the distribution station will envision the entire structure underground, Breitbart News learned, and there will be a process of seeking public comment and input. LADWP also plans to bury all of the electrical cables, gas lines, and other utility wires in the neighborhood.
The estimated time for the project to be completed is about two years, barring obstacles and objections.
LADWP has faced both criticism and praise for its role in the Palisades Fire. There is considerable public outrage at the fact that a local reservoir operated by LADWP was largely empty, due to maintenance. But LADWP also removed tall brush from its property, potentially helping to spare the few homes in the neighborhood that survived the fire.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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