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Fountain Valley hears OCPA update; city told residents will have opt-out and launch set for October 2026
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Summary
City staff and Orange County Power Authority officials told the council that the CPUC certified OCPA's amended implementation plan adding Fountain Valley and that the program is scheduled to launch in October 2026. Officials said customers will be enrolled in a default "Basic Choice" plan but may opt out; residents urged clearer outreach and protections for seniors and program participants.
The Fountain Valley City Council received an update on the Orange County Power Authority on Feb. 4 as OCPA staff outlined a regulatory timeline and customer protections ahead of a planned October 2026 launch. OCPA CEO Joe Mosca said the CPUC certified an amended implementation plan that includes Fountain Valley and described the agency’s outreach and opt-out process.
“We certified this amended implementation plan that shows all the new members of OCPA, and Fountain Valley being one of those,” Mosca said, adding that the agency will send multiple direct-mail notices and run town halls, workshops and community events in the months before launch. Mosca told the council the default offering for Fountain Valley customers will be a Basic Choice product, which he said contains slightly more renewable energy than Southern California Edison (SCE) generation at a modest discount.
Mosca cautioned that withdrawal from the joint-powers authority is governed by the JPA agreement: a city can submit a letter of intent to withdraw and any costs tied to withdrawal are borne by the withdrawing jurisdiction. He cited Huntington Beach as an example of a city that later left and said OCPA worked to transition that city back to SCE with no net cost to the member city.
Several residents raised concerns at the public-comment portion of the study session about automatic enrollment and the risk that seniors or low-income customers could lose access to SCE-administered programs. Michael Hutton, a 23-year resident, said the enrollment model felt like "an attempt to force existing Southern California Edison customers to support and pay for renewable energy," and asked for more outreach and plain-language materials.
Mosca and City staff responded that state-funded programs such as CARE and FERA are administered at the state level and would continue to be available to qualifying customers who become OCPA customers; he also said opt-out notices will be mailed two months before launch and again after launch. Staff emphasized that customers can opt back to SCE at any time and that OCPA intends targeted outreach to customers who rely on special programs.
Mosca also addressed OCPA finances and contingency planning, saying the authority aims to hold 30%–50% of revenue in reserves to protect against market swings and regulatory change. He reported that OCPA had built reserves since launch and expected to end the current fiscal year with roughly $65 million in reserves after some drawdown to stabilize rates.
Council members asked for continued clarity on which customer programs carry over, how default-plan choices affect residents and small businesses, and what the cost implications would be if a member city sought to withdraw. City staff said the council will be kept apprised of outreach plans and that staff will work with OCPA to ensure vulnerable customers are identified and assisted during transition.
The study session did not approve any regulatory or contracting actions; it served to inform council and the public about the timeline, consumer protections and outreach plans ahead of the October 2026 launch.
