Category: OCPA

Orange County Power Authority Survives Dissolution Vote by Board Members

The Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) survived a vote by its board to dissolve it during their June 21 board meeting. The issue was agendized by Board Director Casey McKeon, who is also a councilman for the City of Huntington Beach, which voted to leave the agency last month. “I don’t believe the errors and…


Orange County Power Authority Fires CEO Brian Probolsky

Behind closed doors, the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) voted to relieve chief executive officer Brian Probolsky of his position on April 19 after the embattled green energy agency has faced pressure from city and county leaders to find new leadership. During the Wednesday meeting in Irvine, California, board members voted 3-1 with Jose Castaneda,…


Orange County Leaves OCPA, Seeks New Green Energy Agency

Following the Orange County Board of Supervisors’ Dec. 20 vote to withdraw the county’s unincorporated areas from the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA)—a local energy provider embroiled in controversy and accused of lacking transparency—the county now seeks a new agency to replace it. With the county’s departure, representing unincorporated areas, the power authority now only…


Orange County Power Authority Reduces Rates Days After Audit

The recently-formed Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) announced it will reduce its rates following the last week’s county-led audit which revealed several issues with the agency. The energy provider—which services Huntington Beach, Buena Park, Irvine, and Fullerton— was formed in 2020 as an energy provider emphasizing “green power,” as an alternative to Southern California Edison….


Orange County Power Authority CEO to Be Publicly Evaluated

Orange County Power Authority’s (OCPA) CEO Brian Probolsky will undergo a public performance evaluation at a special public meeting in two weeks, the green energy provider’s board of directors announced Oct. 25. The agency’s general counsel Ryan Baron announced following a closed session on the matter that the board voted unanimously to conduct the evaluation,…


OC Power Authority CEO Probolsky Stays as Whistleblower Complaint Advances

Orange County’s green energy agency retained embattled CEO Brian Probolsky and legal counsel Ryan Baron on June 29. It also continued Probolsky’s whistleblower complaint in which he accused Huntington Beach Mayor Pro Tem Mike Posey and Councilman Dan Kalmick of corruption and violations of open-meeting laws. The Orange County Power Authority’s (OCPA) board of directors met…


OCPA Fined $2 Million After Putting California in Jeopardy

Commentary Orange County Power Authority recently launched into business amid promises that it would provide an adequate supply of electric power to its customers in southern California. Now it turns out that OCPA’s claim was premature, putting the region’s electric reliability in jeopardy. OCPA’s tenuous preparedness is only undermined by recent infighting within the agency’s…


OC Power Authority CEO Accuses Board Members of Corruption

The head of the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) has accused Huntington Beach City Councilors Mike Posey and Dan Kalmick of corruption and open meeting law violations. Brian Probolsky, CEO of Orange County Power Authority (OCPA), which oversees the program, alleges that “Posey and Kalmick conspired to create a common plan and scheme to insert…


Orange County Businesses Shocked Over Surprise Electric Bill Increase

IRVINE, Calif.—Some business owners were shocked to learn their electricity bill was set to increase beginning April 1 amid the launch of service from the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA). After forming the agency in November 2020, the power authority will be the county’s first community choice energy program that seeks to provide greener energy…


Unpacking Orange County Power Authority’s Imminent Failure

Commentary Upstart renewable energy agency Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) is preparing to lock its member cities into hundreds of millions of dollars of liability. As a Community Choice Energy (CCE) agency, it functions by inserting itself into the electricity business by taking over Southern California Edison’s (SCE’s) electricity procurement. To date OCPA has been…