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Poll Results: Irvine Residents Sound Off on OCPA

Last year, all Irvine electricity ratepayers were transferred from Southern California Edison (SCE) and automatically enrolled in the new Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) 100% renewable electricity plan at a significantly higher monthly rate than SCE charges its customers for the same 100% renewable electricity.

Since the forced enrollment last October, 30% of Irvine households have opted-out of OCPA. (The highest opt-out rate in the state!)

Even with the high opt-out rate, thousands and thousands of Irvine ratepayers don’t even know they have been forced into the more expensive OCPA plan. OCPA uses SCE to send out electricity bills so, unless you really study your bill, nothing appears to have changed … except the amount you are now paying for electricity.

Read our poll results to see what Irvine residents think about the City’s continued involvement in OCPA.

The Latest Developments Regarding OCPA

After four scathing audits, the OCPA Board of Directors fired the agency’s controversial CEO, Brian Probolsky — a longtime political consultant with no previous experience in the electricity field. However, even that action has resulted in controversy.

According to last week’s article in Voice of OC, the OCPA Board paid Probolsky “nearly four times the severance payout promised in his original contract in exchange not to speak about the agency.” Even though his contract only stipulated six months salary, which would have amounted to about $120,000, the Board paid Probolsky $450,000.

The Board then hired the agency’s former Communications Director, Joe Mosco, to serve as interim CEO, and approved a $750,000 six-month media campaign in an attempt to re-brand OCPA.

These two unusually large payouts come as Irvine electricity ratepayers continue to be charged higher monthly electricity rates by OCPA.