Last week, the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to initiate an independent investigation into the embattled Orange County Power Authority (OCPA).

In their vote, Orange County Supervisors said that it was wrong for OCPA to automatically switch residents to a 7% more expensive electricity plan than what they currently pay for electricity service provided by Southern California Edison (SCE).

The embattled Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) continues to rush ahead with plans to begin residential electricity service in Irvine on October 1st, even as questions about the agency’s viability remain unanswered.

As Irvine Community News & Views has reported, a Grand Jury investigation into OCPA revealed the following: OCPA is being led by a political insider with zero experience in the energy sector; OCPA bylaws and policies to promote transparency have not been properly implemented; there has been a lack of oversight of contractors with not enough checks and balances in place; and OCPA lacks the in-house staff to develop and implement strategic plans to mitigate economic risks.

In October, all Irvine residents will be transferred from their current provider of electricity —...

Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan and Councilmember Mike Carroll led the effort to establish the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) and to have Irvine taxpayers fund the Power Authority through 2022, with no City oversight.

Within a week of releasing the poll, hundreds and hundreds of Irvine residents weighed in, with 98% (yes, you read that right!) firmly behind Agran. And, scores of readers felt strongly enough about the matter to include a comment.

A new art exhibit is on display at City Hall (located at 1 Civic Center Plaza). The exhibition...

Throughout the month of August, all Irvine residents are scheduled to receive a notice that on October 1st they will be transferred from their current provider of electricity — Southern California Edison (SCE) — and automatically enrolled in the new Orange County Power Authority (OCPA), at a higher monthly rate.

However, rate schedules released by OCPA show that Irvine customers will be paying more for electricity under the new OCPA plan. In fact, Irvine business customers that were switched to OCPA last spring are now paying 5% to 12% more for their electricity.

Irvine’s current “at-large” election system often precludes local neighborhood representation because multiple elected Councilmembers can live in the same area of the City, leaving other areas of the City unrepresented.

Councilmember Tammy Kim voiced her strong opposition to district elections and attempted to introduce a separate motion, having the Council publicly state that Irvine will not move to district elections and will not allow Irvine voters to make the decision themselves.

For nearly six decades, the ARDA site at the Great Park was an integral part of the iconic El Toro Marine Corps Air Station (El Toro MCAS).

Agran says that “a Veterans Memorial Park would not only honor our City’s rich military history but would also offer an aesthetically-pleasing amenity for residents in the area. And, it could be built quickly, without raising taxes or generating massive amounts of outside traffic.”