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Los Angeles Declares Its Power Supply Coal-Free as IPP Coal Units Go Offline

Hydrogen-capable generation will provide firm backup on gas now, with green hydrogen slated to start flowing into the fuel mix in 2026.

Overview

  • City officials say Utah’s Intermountain Power Project stopped coal operations just before Thanksgiving, ending LA’s last coal-sourced electricity.
  • IPP’s retired coal units totaled about 1,800 MW and supplied roughly 11% of Los Angeles’s power as recently as 2024.
  • The site’s IPP Renewed combined-cycle units are running on natural gas and are built to blend up to 30% green hydrogen initially with a pathway to 100% hydrogen.
  • LADWP plans to begin introducing green hydrogen in 2026, supported by on-site electrolysis and planned salt-cavern storage for multi-day energy buffering.
  • The utility approved nearly $800 million to retrofit Scattergood Units 1 and 2 into hydrogen-ready, rapid-response capacity starting in 2026, as regulators and neighbors scrutinize NOx, water use, and safety.