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Author: ICNV Staff

Is the Orange County Power Authority in Crisis Mode? Board Members & Staff Appear to be Turning on One Another

Over the past year, news outlets across Southern California have been publishing articles that detail the troubles and missteps of the six-member Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) board.

The board is led by Irvine City Councilmember Mike Carroll. Mayor Farrah Khan is also a board member, serving with Carroll as Irvine’s representative.

The OCPA board first drew media scrutiny when they hired longtime County staffer and political operative Brian Probolsky. With zero experience in the energy field, Probolsky was named CEO of the newly created multi-million-dollar Power Authority.

Even though Irvine taxpayers are funding OCPA, neither Carroll nor Khan have allowed any public presentation or discussion regarding how Irvine taxpayer dollars are being spent. When asked about financial transparency, Carroll told Voice of OC last year: “We’re not in a typical public agency. This is not a civil service … this is about as private as a public agency can get.”

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OCPA Hit with a Nearly $2 Million Fine Levied by the California Public Utilities Commission

During the May 24th Irvine City Council meeting, Councilmember Larry Agran used his 3-minute time allocation during the “Announcements” portion of the meeting to publicly state his concerns regarding the lack of transparency at the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA).

In April, all businesses operating in the City of Irvine were automatically transferred from their previous provider of electricity — Southern California Edison (SCE) — and enrolled in OCPA, at a higher rate. In October, all Irvine households will be transferred to OCPA, with a similar rate hike.

Agran announced that the OCPA has been fined $1.96 million by the California Public Utilities Commission for failing to purchase enough electricity to ensure that its customers are provided with uninterrupted service.

Agran asked: “Where is the oversight? Where is the transparency? Where is Irvine taxpayer money going? We need answers right now because our City’s future, both economic and environmental, is at stake.”

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City Councilmember Larry Agran Sounds the Alarm Regarding the Lack of Transparency at OCPA

During the May 10th Irvine City Council meeting, Councilmember Larry Agran used his 3-minute time allocation during the “Announcements” portion of the Council meeting to publicly state his concerns regarding the lack of transparency at the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA).

The City of Irvine is funding the Power Authority through 2022. So far, $7.7 million of Irvine taxpayer money has been advanced to the OCPA, with no oversight by the City.

Agran has repeatedly requested that a full report be provided at a public City Council meeting regarding the status of OCPA. Due to Mayor Farrah Khan’s unpopular “Rule of Two” — requiring support from a second Councilmember — Agran’s latest request didn’t make it onto the May 10th Council meeting agenda, which is why Agran said he was forced to voice his concerns publicly during the Announcements portion of the Council meeting.

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