Do you own or manage an Irvine business? Councilmember Larry Agran wants to share some important information about your electricity service. 

The newly-established Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) is launching commercial power. Beginning April 1, businesses will start receiving electricity purchased by OCPA and delivered (still) by Southern California Edison (SCE). 

All Irvine businesses have been opted into buying electricity through OCPA , a public entity that purchases electricity from traditional or sustainable power sources. Our office has compiled a list of frequently asked questions.

What does this mean?

It means that Irvine businesses have one week — until Friday, March 25th —  to decide without penalty if they want to stay in the automatically-enrolled 100% Renewable Energy Choice tier, choose another energy tier within OCPA, or opt out and continue purchasing electricity through SCE. Businesses that do nothing will automatically be enrolled in the 100% renewable energy tier. Businesses that wait until March 26th to opt out or change tiers will pay OCPA’s 100% renewable energy rate for April.

Will businesses pay more for electricity? 

Yes— according to initial projections. Your business, depending on its size, will experience at least a 4-7% increase in electricity bills per month starting in April. For the typical opt-in medium commercial customer who uses 90,000 kWh of power per month, their 100% Renewable Energy Choice plan will cost approximately $1,350 more per month, or 7.2% more than the current SCE rates.

How much renewable energy will I be receiving?

According to the Orange County Power Authority, by default 93% of this electricity will come from renewable energy sources.

How can I learn more about this coming change?

• You can ask questions at a virtual town hall meeting hosted by OCPA scheduled for Tuesday, March 22, at 1 PM. Meeting ID: 864 5718 2834

• You can attend OCPA’s next Board meeting on April 5, 2022 at 10 AM. Webinar link information forthcoming.

• Visit https://ocpower.org or call 1-866-2-OCPOWER (1-866-262-7693).