Electricity is not a luxury. It is a necessity for every home, every business, and every student trying to complete homework in a sweltering apartment. That is why Irvine must stay committed to the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA). Unlike Southern California Edison (SCE), OCPA’s mission is not to maximize profits for shareholders. Its mission is to provide affordable, clean, and reliable power to the people it serves.
That difference in mission—profits versus people—explains why OCPA is our best and likely only chance to slow, and even reverse, the steep rise in electricity costs that is hurting families and businesses across Southern California.
As a board member for the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for humanity’s benefit, I have seen firsthand the need for utility providers that prioritize people over profit. That is why Orange County needs Community Choice Energy, which is the Orange County Power Authority.
The SoCalEdison Problem
According to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), SCE’s rates have increased 26% in the last three years and an astonishing 85% in the last decade. And the trend isn’t slowing down. SCE wants to raise rates another 14.4% this year alone.
These aren’t just numbers. They represent devastating cost-of-living increases. Today, 18% of SCE customers—over 846,000 households—are behind on their bills, owing an average of $1,002 each. Electricity rates get lumped into the price of everything – groceries, daycare, water bills, medical bills, etc. This is a crisis for working families.
The state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) was blunt in a January report: investor-owned utilities like SCE have “fiduciary responsibilities to their owners—such as their shareholders—to maximize their profits.” When profits come first, affordability comes last.
The Community Choice Alternative
OCPA is part of a growing statewide movement of Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs). These public, not-for-profit agencies purchase electricity on behalf of local communities while investor-owned utilities like SCE continue to handle transmission and billing. The key is that CCAs are accountable to local communities, not Wall Street investors.
And the model works. San Diego’s local CCA—San Diego Community Power—recently approved the use of tax-exempt “green bonds” to lock in clean energy at a discount. This $1 billion, 30-year “Clean Energy Project Revenue” bond is expected to save customers about $54.1 million over the next nine years, or $6.1 million each year.
Other CCAs are also using green financing tools to lower rates. MCE, California’s first community choice aggregator, is saving Bay Area residents $65 million with clean energy projects and green bonds. This is exactly the kind of innovative, community-focused solution that SCE cannot and will not pursue.
Addressing the Critics
Some critics, like Jim Phelps in recent Voice of OC columns, argue that OCPA is unreliable or misleading about its energy mix. Here are the facts:
- Claim: OCPA relies on “unspecified power,” meaning gas or coal.
Reality: Like all electric utilities, OCPA may use unspecified power to balance the grid, but customers can—and many do—choose renewable rate plans that SCE simply doesn’t offer, according to its website.
SCE does not even offer renewable plans
- Claim: OCPA uses reserves to prop up rates.
Reality: Maintaining rate stabilization reserves is standard practice among public utilities, and the CPUC provides oversight to ensure it is done correctly. These funds protect customers from sudden price shocks and ensure stability in volatile energy markets. That’s called responsible management. - Claim: Irvine risks inheriting financial liabilities for future projects like Great Park solar.
Reality: Solar and battery disposal is regulated under state and federal rules, with recycling programs and manufacturer obligations already in place. The city retains the ability to negotiate safeguards before accepting any transfer of assets.
Credit: Ayn Cryciun
In other words, while critics raise speculative fears, the reality is that OCPA operates with the same tools as other CCAs that have already demonstrated success. The real financial risk lies with sticking to the SCE monopoly.
The Choice Ahead
Irvine has always prided itself on being forward-looking, innovative, and committed to quality of life for its residents. Supporting OCPA is consistent with that vision. The alternative is surrendering to a century-old utility model that is driving costs higher year after year, with no relief in sight.
OCPA is not perfect—no startup agency is—but it is improving. Following a 2023 State Auditor review, OCPA implemented a comprehensive improvement plan to strengthen transparency and governance. It is now thriving, following the proven path of CCAs across California that are delivering lower costs, cleaner energy, and greater local control.
The question is simple: do we want our energy system run by an investor-owned monopoly whose first responsibility is to shareholders? Or do we want a community-owned agency whose mission is to provide affordable, sustainable power to families and businesses here in Orange County?
I believe the answer is clear. Irvine should stay the course with OCPA and strengthen it. Because without it, families will be left with SCE’s relentless rate hikes and no alternatives.
OCPA represents the best chance, and maybe the only chance, to reclaim energy affordability. Let’s not waste it.
Dr. Charles Jackson serves on the Board of Directors of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for humanity’s benefit. Dr. Jackson has 5 patents and has published more than 30 articles. Dr. Jackson retired from Northrop Grumman where he supported space-based programs. He lives in Huntington Beach.
Opinions expressed in community opinion pieces belong to the authors and not Voice of OC.
Voice of OC is interested in hearing different perspectives and voices. If you want to weigh in on this issue or others please email opinions@voiceofoc.org.