Longtime Irvine Resident & Top Real Estate Broker Jaci Woods Proves that Age is Just a Number
Jaci Woods has lived in Irvine for nearly 50 years. At a time in life when a lot of her generation...
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Our New Veterans Corner Series Continues to Grow
In February, Irvine Community News & Views launched a new series of articles: The Veterans...
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Irvine Rental Assistance Resources
With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to impact our local economy, there are a lot of families...
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All Irvine Businesses Will Be Enrolled in the OCPA on April 1st
On April 1st, all businesses operating in the City of Irvine will be transferred from their current provider of electricity, Southern California Edison (SCE), and enrolled in the new Orange County Power Authority (OCPA).
Irvine businesses will automatically be enrolled at the 100% renewable rate. (Irvine residential customers will be transferred over to OCPA in October, also at the 100% renewable rate.)
According to a recent article in the Voice of OC, the Power Authority originally promised cities that joined OCPA that customers of electricity would be receiving cleaner energy at less expensive rates than SCE. The article referenced a City of Fullerton staff report from November 2020 that promised “the program would bring millions in savings” every year.
However, during the February 8th City Council meeting, Irvine City Manager Oliver Chi provided a presentation showing that small businesses that currently pay, on average, $200 per month for electricity will pay $13.50 more; medium-sized businesses will pay $1,350 more each month; and large commercial customers will pay an additional $6,000 per month or more.
Three Members of the Current Irvine City Council Are Running for Re-Election This Fall
Eight months before the November 2022 election, three members of the current City Council have opened campaign committees to run for re-election.
With the pandemic still on the minds of many Irvine residents, Councilmember Larry Agran chose to announce his re-election campaign through a substantive video announcement that was posted on Agran’s campaign website and on Facebook.
Agran used the video to recap his long history with the City, outline what he’s been working on, and explain why he has decided to run for re-election in November.
Forgoing a formal announcement, Councilmember Anthony Kuo appears to have quietly opened his 2022 City Council re-election campaign last fall.
Mayor Farrah Khan publicly announced her Mayoral re-election campaign late last year via social media and through an email message sent to supporters.
Irvine Artist Donating an Oil Painting to Help Cancer Research
Michael Harrison has had the opportunity to do what most of us only dream about. He’s been able to...
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Two Art Exhibits at the Irvine Fine Arts Center
Two art exhibits are currently on display at the Irvine Fine Arts Center (14321 Yale Avenue at...
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Homeowners Impacted by COVID-19: Apply for Mortgage Relief
If you are homeowner who has been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, you may be...
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Irvine Mayor & Council Majority Rejects Plan for a Veterans Memorial Park on the 125-Acre Great Park “ARDA” Site
During the February 8th Irvine City Council meeting, Councilmember Larry Agran outlined his proposal to build a beautiful Veterans Memorial Park on the 125-acre Great Park “ARDA” site.
Agran’s proposal calls for a vast park filled with a forest of trees, walking trails, memorial gardens, reflecting ponds, and an aviation museum to honor the City’s six-decade military history and our local veterans. (A botanical garden is part of Agran’s proposal.)
After nearly an hour of public comments about Agran’s plan — which included unanimous support from veterans — Mayor Khan and Councilmembers Kuo, Kim and Carroll rejected the proposal and voted instead to build a botanical garden on the entire ARDA site.
After the meeting concluded, one veteran who had spoken in support of Agran’s proposal stated: “Mayor Khan and her Council majority have once again betrayed veterans. First, they took away our Veterans Cemetery that we were promised, and now they want to erase any memory of the El Toro Marine base and those of us who served there.”
Orange County Power Authority Update
In April, all businesses in the City of Irvine will automatically be transferred from their current provider of electricity, Southern California Edison (SCE), and enrolled in the new Orange County Power Authority (OCPA).
Six months later — in October — Irvine’s residential customers will be automatically transferred from SCE to the new OCPA plan.
The success of the Power Authority will depend on Irvine businesses and residents choosing to remain in the OCPA program and not opt-out and return to SCE.
The Power Authority originally told cities that joined OCPA that their residents would be receiving cleaner energy at less expensive rates than SCE. A Fullerton staff report from November 2020 promised “the program would bring millions in savings to residents every year.”
However, OCPA released residential rates on January 11th of this year, it was discovered that Irvine households will pay between $4.25 and $6.38 per month more than they currently pay for energy provided by SCE.
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