As a professor studying how climate change affects our fragile ecosystems, I encounter a lot of justified anxiety from my students about what’s happening to our planet. For them, living in a warming world isn’t an abstract idea; it’s a reality they must live with.
While this reality is sobering, I assure them we can still make meaningful changes to address climate change. One such opportunity available to residents in several Orange County cities is to enroll with the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA).
OCPA launched nearly two years ago with the promise of offering local residential and commercial customers cleaner energy to power California’s electrical grid at competitive rates. OCPA has unquestionably delivered on that promise, as OCPA’s overall 2022 portfolio reports a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Intensity of 83.45 lbs CO2e/MWh versus Southern California Edison’s reported Greenhouse Gas Emissions Intensity of 552 lbs CO2e/MWh.
This means more than 230,000 residential and commercial customers in OCPA’s member communities are reducing their reliance on fossil fuels and helping us create a healthier, more sustainable future.
The way it works is simple. OCPA purchases the percentage of renewable energy in customers’ selected plans to be put onto the California electrical grid. In addition to providing more green energy in the short term, those purchases then induce demand for more renewable energy over time, resulting in California’s energy grid becoming even greener.
Customers of OCPA have three plans to choose from. OCPA’s Basic Choice plan contributes 44% renewable energy to the grid. The middle-tier Smart Choice plan contributes 72% renewable energy. And OCPA’s top-line 100% Renewable Choice plan is the most significant impact customers can make in combatting climate change through their electricity usage.
While Southern California Edison (SCE) is increasing its rates on the delivery side – which OCPA customers will still see on their bills – OCPA is decreasing rates on the generation side.
OCPA’s Basic Choice plan costs 3% less than Southern California Edison’s equivalent generation rate, which carries over to all OCPA plans and relieves all OCPA customers. This discount will increase to 4% in October if SCE does not reduce its rates in June.
Unlike for-profit investor-owned utilities, OCPA is a not-for-profit agency that reinvests revenue back into the communities it serves. That money stays right here and could mean more green jobs, energy efficiency programs, and economic benefits here in Orange County.
In response to requests from the public and elected officials, OCPA has enacted policies to enhance its governance structure, including adopting a new set of by-laws, improving communication with the public, and hiring professionals with extensive industry experience. OCPA is in good hands with its current leaders, who are committed to ensuring transparency and fiscal responsibility – projecting $88 million in reserves through FY 2024.
For those who made the decision early on to opt out of OCPA, please consider re-enrolling. While the re-enrollment process and return to OCPA takes about six months to complete, the good news is if you’re an energy customer in Buena Park, Fullerton, or Irvine, you can call today and start the re-enrollment process. Learn more about how to re-enroll at www.ocpower.org.
If your city isn’t yet a member of OCPA but you’d like to be part of the renewable energy movement, be sure to let your city council know.
From the early days of battling smog to the current fight against catastrophic global warming and climate change, Irvine and surrounding Orange County have been at the forefront of our collective efforts to save our planet and the future. Please continue this tradition by enrolling in OCPA today.
Dr. Kathleen Treseder, is a resident of Irvine and an Orange County Power Authority Board member, Irvine City Councilmember, and the Howard A. Schneiderman Endowed Chair and Professor at the University of California Irvine, where she leads an internationally recognized research program studying how climate change affects endangered ecosystems and our society.
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