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Residents urge council to delay evaluating Orange County Power Authority membership amid rate, reserve concerns
Summary
Two public commenters told the council OCPA’s rates exceed SCE’s and that recent board projections of a $34 million loss warrant pausing any city consideration of joining OCPA until finances and transparency improve.
During the public comment period, Laguna Beach residents raised concerns about the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) and urged the city to delay any formal evaluation.
Mike Ruff presented a handout comparing OCPA rates to Southern California Edison (SCE) and said OCPA plans charge residents dozens of dollars per month more than SCE, estimating residents could pay $300–$400 more annually on some OCPA plans. He recommended tabling discussion of OCPA until the authority’s finances improve.
Vicky Johnson reiterated those concerns, saying she attended OCPA’s recent board meeting where staff projected a $34,000,000 loss for the fiscal year ending June 30 and warned that OCPA’s pricing, purchase of renewable energy certificates and emissions data raised transparency issues. "Per partnering with an agency like OCPA that doesn't disclose these material facts exposes Laguna Beach to considerable risk," she said.
Council did not take action on OCPA during the meeting; the comments were recorded as part of the public-comment period.
