LOS ANGELES, Calif., March 3, 2004 -- The Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners approved a more than $17 million project to substantially refurbish its historic San Francisquito Power Plant 2 (Power Plant 2), a clean, renewable hydroelectric power plant located along the Los Angeles Aqueduct.

The project, approved unanimously by the Board, will ensure that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) continues to provide reliable water delivery to the City of Los Angeles, while supplying clean, renewable energy.

"This Power Plant is a good example of a strategic resource for the City of Los Angeles," said LADWP Acting General Manager Frank Salas. "Today's vote reflects the Department's strong commitment to investing in renewable energy resources that enhance the reliability of the power system."

Originally completed in 1920, LADWP's Power Plant 2 was certified by the California Energy Commission as a "Registered Renewable Supplier," and has the capacity to generate 18 megawatts, and enough energy to power more than 10,000 homes.

"The LADWP is fully committed to investing in clean, renewable power," said LADWP Chief Operating Officer, Power System, Henry Martinez. "Power Plant 2 has been helping the LADWP provide dependable water and reliable power to our customers for more than 80 years, and this project will ensure continued supplies of both well into the 21st century."

As water is guided down towards Los Angeles through the aqueduct built by William Mulholland, it is led to three hydro turbine units that then harness the power that is created by the force of the water traveling down the aqueduct, which enables the LADWP to generate clean, renewable electricity.

Power Plant 2 is located about 25 miles north of Los Angeles in the San Francisquito Canyon and played an important role in the development of the city's power system and was one of the initial sources of municipally generated power for Los Angeles residents and businesses. The modernization of Power Plant 2 is expected to get underway in April 2004 with an expected completion date of March 2006.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the largest municipally owned utility in the nation, was established more than 100 years ago to provide water and electric needs to the city's residents and businesses. LADWP currently serves more than 3.8 million people in Los Angeles. For more information about LADWP, log on to www.ladwp.com.