Tell Irvine to Stay in the Orange County Power Authority!
Background
Community Choice Aggregation allows cities to purchase electricity on behalf of customers, despite being in a Investor-Owned Utility area (such as Southern California Edison). CCA saves customers money and allows large scale purchasing of renewable energy. Several Orange County cities created the Orange County Power Authority through joint power, Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Irvine, and Buena Park.
State government explainer on Community Choice Aggregation
In November-December 2021, Sunrise Movement Orange County worked together with Climate Action Campaign and Citizens Climate Lobby to pass 100% renewable energy for Buena Park and Irvine. Fullerton is subscribed at a 70% renewable energy rate, while Huntington Beach subscribed at 30%. Republican councilmembers in Huntington Beach exited the agency on 16 May, a reversal in climate progress.
Irvine has 4 councilmembers and 1 mayor, all of which have equal votes. We worked hard to elect Dr. Kathleen Treseder, a UCI climate professor to the council, and she has committed to improving OCPA and staying in the agency. The Mayor, (D) Farrah Khan, and councilmember (D) Tammy Kim seem likely to support staying in OCPA. We need to convince the other 2 councilmembers to stay, (D) Larry Agran and (R) Mike Carroll.
How to Email
DEADLINE: 15:00 Tuesday, 23 May
Email farrahkhan@cityofirvine.org, tammykim@cityofirvine.org, larryagran@cityofirvine.org, mikecarroll@cityofirvine.org, kathleentreseder@cityofirvine.org
Send a respectful email asking that the City of Irvine stay with the OC Power Authority. Say why you care about the climate crisis, a just climate transition, and how extremely important clean renewable power is. Feel free to use some of the talking points below, but please reword them.
Call During the Meeting
Meeting Starting Time: 16:30 Tuesday 23 May.
(Or show up in person! 1 Civic Center Plaza, Irvine CA 92606)
Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84848531263?pwd=ZkJLcjdTU0owdGlIdjdhdTViMHNOdz09
Meeting ID: 848 4853 1263
Passcode: 272906
You have about ~3 minutes to speak, but if more people show up, that may be reduced to 90 seconds.
Raise your hand when you hear Item 4.1: CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST BY COUNCILMEMBERS AGRAN AND CARROLL TO DISCUSS REPRESENTATION AND MEMBERSHIP IN THE ORANGE COUNTY POWER AUTHORITY
Agenda: https://irvine.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=68&event_id=2212
Please share the personal reasons you care about climate, justice, and a livable future. The more personal your comments are, the more effective they will be.
Talking Points
In addition, below are key facts you can use in your comments. Please put these comments in your own words if you use them.
SCE plans to increase electricity rates another 45% by 2030, and Irvine businesses and residents have the ability to select OCPA’s Basic Choice renewable energy plan, which costs 2% less than SCE and offers more renewable energy. Click here to see information from the California Public Utilities Commision on SCE’s planned rate increases.
Irvine families and businesses want and deserve an alternative to the decades-long fossil fuels-powered SCE monopoly. Huntington Beach City Council made a truly reckless decision last Tuesday to withdraw from the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA). Huntington Beach has put politics ahead of the health and well-being of those who call Huntington Beach home. Not only does this eliminate the opportunity for Huntington Beach to take bold action against climate change, it strips away renewable energy choice from its residents and businesses.
Clean electricity is ONLY possible through OCPA
- Community Choice Aggregation is Orange County’s single best way to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and put more renewable energy onto the grid to address climate change.
- Irvine families and businesses need and deserve an alternative to the monopoly that has held us captive for the last 100+ years, their constant rate increases and fossil fuel-powered electricity are damaging quality of life.
- Choosing clean electricity is one of the quickest, easiest, and most effective ways a city can reduce emissions and fight the climate crisis. Emissions from electricity generation are the second-largest source of emissions in our region.
- Pursuing timid climate solutions will cost California trillions of dollars in destructive impacts to our economy, public health, equity, and way of life.
- As said by the LA-ist/NPR Orange County Reporter Jill Replogle, “If this city decides to withdraw at this particular moment it would be a huge blow…to the county’s climate goals. This type of clean energy agency is seen as one of the most promising ways for a local governments to meet their climate goals and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
- We need the OCPA to succeed since it provides vital renewable energy, and local jobs, and its demise would lead to an end for CCEs in California.
Fighting for a Safe and Healthy Community
- OCPA will provide funding for key community programs and projects, which Irvine residents and businesses have already paid into for a year. Leaving OCPA means community members lose out on funding already invested and will be left with the costs Irvine incurs from pulling out.
- Irvine’s environmental justice communities have historically and are currently shouldering disproportionate burdens of pollution under our fossil fuel-powered energy and transportation systems. According to Cal Enviroscreen, some Irvine neighborhoods range from the 74th-99th percentile for pollution burden among all California communities.
- Long-term exposure to air pollution can result in respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, and impact brain development.
- The most polluted area of Irvine ranges from the 17th-37th percentile among California communities for asthma and from the 27th- 45th percentile for cardiovascular disease. These can be both symptoms of chronic exposure to pollution and can cause even more health risks and strain to the healthcare system if continued exposure is left unabated.
Keeping Prices Affordable
- Currently OCPA’s basic product costs 2% less than SCE rates, and is a way for families to save money, which would not be possible if Irvine chooses to leave OCPA.
- SoCal Edison plans to increase electricity rates by another 45% by 2030. The reality is that Irvine businesses and residents deserve a viable alternative to the decades-long fossil fuel monopoly held by SoCal Edison. To withdraw from the OCPA would threaten this reality.
- OCPA is financially strong with more than $40 million in reserves.
- OCPA is entering into long-term agreements to purchase renewable energy for the decades ahead. Doing this has several benefits:
- First, it guarantees a fixed price for our energy costs.
- Second, it brings new renewable energy onto the grid, which benefits both our customers and the environment.
- OCPA is investing in programs to help customers reduce their energy consumption and energy bills.
- SoCal Edison plans to increase electricity rates by another 45% by 2030. The reality is that Irvine businesses and residents deserve a viable alternative to the decades-long fossil fuel monopoly held by SoCal Edison. To withdraw from the OCPA would threaten this reality.
- As we continue to have extreme weather events, Irvine residents deserve to be able to use their AC and not live in fear of their electricity bill because of volatile and increasing rates through SCE.
- OCPA is focused on local resiliency and investing in new generation of renewable energy. In fact, OCPA recently announced a new power purchase agreement with Grace Orchard Energy Center, LLC. OCPA will purchase renewable energy from Grace who will develop a solar-plus-battery storage-project in Riverside County. This project will guarantee capacity of 90 MW of solar production – equivalent to approximately 262,000 MWh/year, enough to power 40,000 homes, and up to 30 MW of battery storage capacity with fixed energy prices over a 20-year term.
NO to changing board representatives
- Councilmember Treseder and Vice Mayor Kim have led necessary changes at the OCPA through their work on the board which will allow the agency to be successful, add additional cities and end corruption. Voting to replace them will set the agency back to being a corrupt agency that will not succeed.
- We can not coward and allow monied interests to lead in the city. We need to stand strong behind our board members who have facilitated vital changes and the end of corruption and incompetent leadership at the agency.
- Choosing to select new board members who have publicly shared they do not support OCPA, and would allow the agency to be dissolved, is choosing to saddle Irvine residents with the cost burden of already purchased power. Irvine residents should NOT have to pay for the cost of other cities choosing to leave OCPA.
- The current board representatives have shown they are dedicated to improving OCPA, ensuring its success, and providing low-cost renewable energy and funding for community programs for all Irvine families. They need to remain as the board representatives to see these changes through.