Orange County Power Authority
The Orange County Power Authority (abbreviated to OCPA) is a joint municipal power authority serving Buena Park, Irvine, Fullerton. It is a community choice aggregation authority, purchasing power on behalf of ratepayers, while Southern California Edison operates local transmission infrastructure and billing.[1]
It currently procures renewable electricity from solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, and biomass sources, and non-renewable energy from nuclear and fossil gas sources. Three energy rates are provided, "100% Renewable", "Smart Choice" at 72% renewable, and "Basic Choice" at 44% renewable.[2]
History
[edit]In 2019, The Irvine City Council voted unaimously to consider forming a CCE authority with other cities. In 2021, Irvine approved the creation of the Orange County Power Authority. In 2022, Irvine and Buena Park approved the default use of 100% renewable energy for it's ratepayers, while Fullerton selected 70%. Service began for commercial customers in April 2022 and residential customers in October 2022.
In February 2023, the California State Auditor conducted an audit, highlighting lack of board oversight and qualified staff, and the loss of customers, and poor administrative processes. 3 other audits were conducted with similar results. In April 2023, the board of the power authority fired CEO Brian Probolsky in a split vote after audits found Probolsky approved $1.8 million in contracts without board approval.[3] In May 2023, Huntington Beach voted to withdraw from the OC Power Authority, which completed on July 1, 2024.[4]
The Power Authority has completed its improvement plan following the recommendations, which include improving transparency and oversight, and hiring more qualified personnel for power procurement and administration.[5] It also improved processes for reviewing contracting proposals to ensure fair bidding and track project completion.
References
[edit]- ^ "Community Choice Energy & OCPA". City of Irvine. 2018-11-19. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ "Commercial Renewable Energy Plans - OCPA". Orange County Power Authority. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ Biesiada, Noah (2023-04-19). "Orange County Power Authority Fires Controversial CEO After Two Years of Unrest". Voice of OC. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ Biesiada, Noah (2024-10-08). "What is the Future of the Orange County Power Authority?". Voice of OC. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ "OCPA Improvement Plan". Orange County Power Authority. Retrieved 2024-10-16.