Council Members Approve Bringing Community Choice Energy to Irvine
The Irvine City Council voted unanimously to bring Community Choice Energy (CCE) to Irvine and to create and lead a Joint Power Authority with other Orange County cities.
Motion that was passed: Staff to secure the interests of other CCE-JPA partner cities in Orange County and ask staff to return with preliminary joint powers authority formation documents no later than May 2020 in preparation to submit a CCE implementation plan to the California Public Utilities Corporation by December 31, 2020. Staff was directed to place the CCE/JPA item on the February 11, 2020 agenda.
During the City Council Study Session on Sustainability Programs on 12/10/19, a feasibility study on a proposed Irvine Community Choice Energy and Joint Power Authority programs, which had been approved by Irvine’s Finance Commission, was presented.
Community Choice Energy Feasibility Document
Community Choice Energy programs are designed to provide resident, business, and municipal customers with energy choices that include renewable energy sources. The CCE program would work in cooperation with Southern California Edison (SCE) whereby the city would purchase the different types of energy sources and sell the energy to customers. SCE would continue to provide transmission, distribution, powerline maintenance, and customer billing services.
It was proposed that Irvine create and lead a Joint Power Authority (JPA) by inviting all Orange County cities to join Irvine in operating the CCE program. The JPA should provide energy to customers at cheaper rates and should be a revenue source for the JPA membership.
The plan is for the Feasibility Study to be reviewed by an independent party then presented for approval at a future City Council meeting in early 2020.
