Author: Franklin J. Lunding

Over the past ten years, our community newspaper has become a trusted source of information. Thousands of Irvine residents read our twice-weekly email messages and more than 70,000 follow us on social media.

We also want to express our gratitude to our readers for your input. Every week, Irvine Community News & Views (ICNV) receives messages from residents asking us to investigate stories that impact our City or to spotlight an event taking place in town.

To allow our staff to enjoy quality time with their families, we will not be releasing our usual twice-weekly email newsletters over the holidays.

In the menatime, be sure to check out Joel Smith’s article, Things to Do in Irvine Over the Holidays.

Our twice-weekly email schedule will resume on January 4th.

That has become the most-read article Irvine Community News & Views has ever published, with more than 75,000 residents having read the article and 1,293 Irvine residents (so far) sharing it on their own social media platforms.

Broken Promise #1: Greener Electricity

During the November 12th Irvine City Council meeting, it was revealed that OCPA has been purchasing dirtier energy than SCE for two of the agency’s three energy tiers — including the “Basic Choice” tier in which Irvine ratepayers are enrolled.

Broken Promise #2: Lower Monthly Rates

For two years, OCPA charged Irvine customers the highest monthly electricity rates in all of Orange County!

When their Council colleagues refused to place any conditions on 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 Irvine electricity customers the highest monthly rates in all of Orange County.