Utility Built Solar (UBS)

What is the Utility Built Solar Program?

In 1998, our Utility Built Solar (UBS) program began installing solar on City-owned rooftops and parking lots to prepare Los Angeles for the growing impacts of climate change. With over 47 projects, there have been 25 megawatts (MW) of solar installed making LADWP’s energy greener. This is equivalent to the pollution reduction of powering 7,622 homes or taking 3,086 cars off the road annually.

In 2019, Mayor Garcetti’s Green New Deal called for more local solar and an expansion of UBS to generate zero-carbon energy for LA residents. Beginning in 2020, we expanded UBS to include energy storage and distributed energy resources, which are local energy generation and storage technologies, specifically solar photovoltaics and batteries.

In addition to providing cleaner energy for Angelenos, UBS increases the reliability of LA’s power grid by operating independently from it and can be used to power shelters and cooling centers for local residents during an outage or emergency. By 2045, we aim to install more than 200MW of solar through UBS.

A list of our current and future UBS projects is coming soon.