Commentary questions OCPA renewable-energy claims

A Voice of OC commentary by Jim Phelps says the Orange County Power Authority has not provided enough public evidence to verify its renewable-energy claims, including what power was bought, delivered, substituted and marketed to customers.

The issue matters in Orange County because OCPA serves member cities and ratepayers, and the commentary says cities could face financial risks tied to power contracts and product choices.

Phelps, identified by Voice of OC as a former power contractor and utility rate analyst, wrote that OCPA launched in 2022 while promoting local control, lower prices and cleaner energy than Southern California Edison.

According to Voice of OC, the commentary says OCPA member cities may be weighing whether to make the authority’s highest-priced 100% Renewable product the default option for customers. Phelps argued that such decisions require records showing megawatt-hours purchased, delivered, substituted, shaped, settled and matched to advertised products from January 1, 2021, through April 30, 2026.

The commentary also questions statements by Kathleen Treseder, Irvine councilmember and OCPA vice chair. Voice of OC reported that Phelps said Treseder claimed all OCPA ratepayers were receiving 95.5% renewable energy, a claim he said conflicted with an energy procurement consultant presentation she attended eight months earlier.

Phelps cited the California State Auditor’s 2023 report on OCPA’s procurement transparency. The auditor said, "OCPA does not share the confidential terms of its purchase agreements with its board at open meetings or in closed sessions."

Voice of OC reported that Phelps also pointed to OCPA’s dispute with Huntington Beach over procurement records, saying the authority later described a nondisclosure agreement with the city as a transparency success in an Improvement Plan. The commentary says OCPA’s handling of the dispute contributed to Huntington Beach’s decision to leave the authority.

The commentary says Fountain Valley could face general-fund exposure if OCPA energy contracts entered on its behalf had to be liquidated. Phelps wrote that verification of OCPA’s claims does not require confidential pricing information, but does require procurement records that show how power products were assembled and reported.

Phelps called for OCPA to release procurement records covering January 1, 2021, through April 30, 2026, saying the documents are needed to test the authority’s public claims.