Task Force Formed to Find Pacific Palisades Power Station Site

Officials announced the formation of an 11-member community-led task force in Pacific Palisades on Wednesday. They are charged to find the appropriate location for a proposed Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) distribution station.

The effort comes due to reports that current station, distributing station 29, will meet capacity within the next six years according to LADWP. earlier this year when the community opposed the first proposed site for distributiing station 104 to be built on LADWP-owned land next to .

"The formation of this task force is critical to the success of this project," said Ron Nichols, LADWP general manager, in a press release. "We look forward to working collaboratively to find a solution that meets our city’s energy needs and the needs of the community."

The DS 104 Task Force members, nominated by the Councilmember Bill Rosendahl and Los Angeles Unified School District Board Member Steve Zimmer, will tentatively hold their first working meeting on Sept. 19 at a location to be determined. It's comprised of:

• Peter Duke, media and technology consultant
• Christy Dennis, former communications professional and current president of the Marquez Knolls Property Owners Association
• Joyce Wong Kup, land use and environmental law attorney, founding member of the Coalition of Palisadians to Keep Marquez Charter Safe
• Danielle Samulon, attorney and legal affairs professional
• Christine Abraham, attorney and environmental policy & planning consultant
• Jim Rea, realtor and member of the Pacific Palisades Community Council and Marquez Knolls Property Owners Association Board
• Marc Zussman, attorney and member of the Coalition of Palisadians to Keep Marquez Charter Safe
• Haldis Toppel, information technology professional and member of the Palisades Park Advisory Board
• Jeff Beal, artist, publisher, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees at the and Chairman of the Board for Project X Foundation for Art and Criticism
• Hank Wright, information technology professional
• Kelly Comras, landscape architect

According to LADWP, the group will be responsible for reviewing the need for a new distributing station, exploring ways to reduce customer energy use - including the limits such efforts have on reducing overall energy demand - identifying potential alternate locations for siting the distribution station and serving as a clearinghouse for information sharing and to build understanding.

The additional station for Pacific Palisades, once a site is approved, will still need sufficient time to complete siting, environmental review, design, construction and commissioning.

"My constituents have been extremely engaged on this issue," Councilmember Rosendahl sand in a press release. "As we continue to urge DWP to honor our calls to take the Marquez site off the table for proposed Distribution Station 104, I want to commend department managers for working with my constituents to form a group that will address the concerns of many Palisades families."