Irvine City Council Votes to Stick with OCPA

On September 9th, the Irvine City Council voted 5-2 to stick with the embattled Orange County Power Authority (OCPA). Mayor Larry Agran and Councilmember Mike Carroll voted NO.

Nearly everyone in our state receives electricity provided by the California Electric Grid — made up of roughly 62% renewable energy. Here in Irvine, that electricity is delivered by Southern California Edison (SCE).

OCPA is simply a “middleman,” purchasing electricity that the agency then tries to resell at a higher price. And what OCPA can’t sell, it dumps.

For more than two years, OCPA charged its Irvine customers the highest monthly electricity rates in all of Orange County. As a result, nearly 30% of Irvine ratepayers had opted-out of OCPA and returned to SCE by the end of 2024.

In December 2024, at the urging of Mayor Agran, the Council voted unanimously to transfer Irvine electricity ratepayers to OCPA’s least expensive monthly plan and to submit a letter of intention to withdraw from OCPA.

At the September 9th City Council meeting, Councilmember Kathleen Treseder introduced a motion to rescind the letter to withdraw from OCPA.

Councilmember Betty Martinez Franco attempted to amend Treseder’s motion to be contingent on two conditions: 1) OCPA would have to agree to repay Irvine’s $7.5 million investment by the end of 2025; and 2) Irvine would retain its two seats on the OCPA board after repayment is made.

After Treseder refused to accept Franco’s amendment, Mayor Agran offered a substitute motion that would make certain demands of OCPA by requiring four conditions to be met: 1) OCPA would repay the $7.5 million loan with interest by the end of 2025; 2) Irvine would retain its two seats on the OCPA board after repayment is made; 3) Irvine would be given a third seat on the OCPA board as new cities join; and 4) OCPA would freeze its lowest tier rate so that Irvine electricity customers would be guaranteed no rate increase through 2026.

Councilmembers Melinda Liu, James Mai, and William Go joined Treseder and Franco in opposing Agran’s substitute motion.

Councilmember Mai — who serves as Vice Chair of the OCPA board — offered a “friendly” amendment to Treseder’s original motion, which she accepted. Mai said he would try to negotiate for OCPA to repay the City’s loan with interest, retain the board seats, and keep Irvine in the lowest tier.

After hearing Mai’s weakening language to “negotiate” with OCPA, Mayor Agran asked what would happen if OCPA wasn’t interested in negotiating those items. Mai said the Council could revisit their vote at some point next year. Agran predicted that OCPA would do what it has done for years — completely ignore and dismiss Irvine’s concerns. 

Treseder and Mai’s motion to stick with OCPA without conditions passed 5-2, with Treseder, Mai, Go, Liu, and Franco voting YES.