Laguna Beach city officials are holding off on joining Orange County Power Authority after raising concerns about financial and operational uncertainties.

The city council plans to revisit the issue in late 2027 to allow Orange County Power Authority time to address the city’s concerns by providing additional data and a clearer understanding of the agency’s long-term direction, according to the staff report.

While no city council member spoke on the issue at the Aug. 4 meeting when they unanimously voted to push back the proposal, some nearby residents raised concerns about Laguna Beach joining the green energy agency during public comment. 

“Continue avoiding OCPA. I don’t think it’s possible for anything to change in it,” Irvine Resident Harvey Liss said. 

Community Choice Energy programs, like the OC Power Authority, allow local governments to procure electricity for residents and businesses, providing more options for renewable energy. 

In participating cities, the power agency buys energy on behalf of the cities, while Southern California Edison (SCE) continues to deliver electricity, maintain electrical infrastructure, send bills and respond to outages. 

On April 14, the city council approved a five-phase work plan to decide to join Orange County Power Authority. 

However, city staff and the Laguna Beach Environmental Sustainability Committee recommended putting the analysis on hold after raising concerns about financial uncertainties, customer stability, higher customer electricity costs and operational considerations as risks to joining, according to the staff report.

The committee also raised concerns about Huntington Beach’s withdrawal from the agency in June 2024 and Orange County’s withdrawal in July 2023. 

[Read: OC Supervisors Pull the Plug on Green Energy Agency Over Transparency Concerns]

In addition, the committee was also concerned that Irvine considered leaving but ultimately decided to stay in September 2025. 

[Read: Is Orange County’s Struggling Green Power Agency Bouncing Back?]

“Continued stability among OCPA’s larger member agencies will be an important indicator of the organization’s long-term financial sustainability,” the staff report reads. 

Most residents with Southern California Edison would also most likely experience higher electricity costs under Orange County Power Authority. 

At the June 9 meeting during public comments, Laguna Woods Resident Mike Rauch expressed concerns over Orange County Power Authority’s costly rates compared to Southern California Edison.

“Do Laguna Beach rate payers want to pay more than SCE and for OCPA’s past operational losses?” Rauch said. 

According to Southern California Edison’s website, the average monthly bill for residents is $203.26 as of June 1, 2026. 

In comparison, Orange County Power Authority’s monthly billing average for residents ranges from approximately $233 to $236 a month, depending on the amount of renewable energy, as of Oct. 20, 2025. 

The committee found that competitive prices would be reduced due to the combination of the power charge indifference adjustment and Orange County Power Authority’s current rates, according to the staff report. 

Laguna Beach Environmental Sustainability Committee members found that Orange County Power Authority has weakened materially over the past two years, according to the staff report. 

Concerns they cited include significant declines in operating revenue and cash reserves after Huntington Beach withdrew from the agency, and continued uncertainty over future electricity costs and customer retention. 

Despite the host of concerns raised, committee members concluded that Orange County Power Authority remains financially stable. 

Liss said that Orange County Power Authority’s rates just don’t compare to Southern California Edison’s rates. 

“There is no way, now or in the future, that OCPA can ever compete with Southern Cal[ifornia] Edison for the cost of electricity,” Liss said. 

Lauren Contreras is a Voice of OC intern. You can reach her at laurencontreras615@gmail.com.