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Oxnard council urges state agencies to deny another extension for Ormond Beach power plant, backs dismantling funding
Summary
After sustained public testimony from youth, residents and environmental advocates, Oxnard’s City Council adopted a resolution opposing any third extension of the Ormond Beach power plant’s operating permit and asked staff to forward the resolution to state agencies and elected officials.
The Oxnard City Council on April 29 adopted a resolution opposing a third extension to continue operation of the Ormond Beach Power Station beyond its scheduled closure date of Dec. 31, 2026, and asked staff to transmit the resolution to relevant state agencies, the governor’s office and state legislative representatives. The motion carried with six council votes in favor and one abstention.
Public pressure and youth leadership: Dozens of residents, several youth leaders and local advocates addressed the council in favor of opposition and dismantling funding. Students and youth organizers described canvassing and petitions in 2023, said they had participated in state hearings and urged the city to take a unified stance against further extensions. Community speakers — including activists, local attorneys, environmental advocates and longtime residents — urged the city to insist on a firm closure timeline and to ensure funds are set aside for decommissioning and site restoration.
City action and funding approach: Councilmembers described an arrangement staff negotiated with the plant operator and the city manager that would set aside funds for future dismantling and restoration; the city manager explained the proposal included money held in a restricted arrangement that the city proposed to place with a community foundation to guarantee its use for dismantling and site restoration. Councilmembers credited earlier and ongoing community advocacy and the city manager’s negotiations for reaching a position that could support decommissioning and wetland restoration.
Why it matters: The Ormond Beach generating station sits adjacent to sensitive wetlands and residential neighborhoods in South Oxnard. Local advocates contend the antiquated facility has provided little net electrical benefit while emitting pollutants and restricting public coastal access. The council’s resolution is a formal municipal request to state regulators to deny further operating extensions and to prioritize dismantling and restoration funding.
Council vote: The motion to send a resolution opposing a third extension and urging dismantling funding passed 6–0 with one abstention (Councilmember Star abstained). Several council members spoke in favor of the resolution; the majority described it as recognition of long-standing community advocacy and a step toward restoring public coastal access.
Next steps: Staff will transmit the resolution to the California State Lands Commission, the California Energy Commission and the governor’s office and continue to coordinate with county and nonprofit partners on dismantling and restoration funding arrangements. The council noted that state agencies ultimately decide extensions and permit approvals and that the city’s resolution is an input to those deliberations.
Sources: Testimony from youth leaders and community members at the April 29 Oxnard City Council meeting; city manager’s remarks on proposed funding arrangements; council vote recorded in the meeting transcript.
