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At a special meeting December 12, the Irvine City Council voted unanimously to withdraw from the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) in 2025, and directed numerous changes to the City’s relationship with the agency in the meantime. This decision comes after serious concerns were raised regarding transparency, financials, and oversight considerations related to how OCPA has been operating.
The City Council’s decision means all Irvine electrical ratepayers will be moved into the Basic Choice electrical plan. This transition will save the typical residential electrical user around 5% per month on their bill. Concurrently, the City will be working to refine details related to Irvine’s pending withdrawal from OCPA. In January, the City Council will also discuss who will represent Irvine on the OCPA Board in 2025.
This action follows a detailed presentation by City staff, accompanied by extensive City Council deliberations and public input. It reflects a concerted effort to address ongoing concerns about OCPA’s operations and its approach to engaging with the City of Irvine. While the City has consistently supported the OCPA—and, in fact, served as the driving force behind the creation of the agency—recent actions taken by OCPA have demonstrated a deliberate and intentional withholding of critical information from Irvine.
Background:
Until the December 12 City Council meeting, Irvine customers were automatically enrolled into a utility rate priced on consumers receiving 100% renewable energy, which comes with higher costs. At a City Council meeting November 26, the OCPA provided a presentation that detailed potential rate increases if Irvine did not make a significant change in its default power profile. OCPA only recently detailed that the rate increase would be around $34 per month. However, based on the City Council’s decision at its December 12 meeting, rather than be subject to a $34 per month increase in electrical costs, residents will instead experience an approximate 5% decrease in their electrical bill. Further, Irvine customers will still have the option to choose to update their electrical power profile to the 100% renewable plan.
For more information about the City’s environmental programs, visit cityofirvine.org/ep and/or learn more about the City’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan here.
