Opinion: While Edison Profits Soar, Agran Targets Irvine’s Only Energy Choice

• March 6, 2026, 7:37 am America/Los_Angeles

Larry Agran is at it again — undermining the only alternative Irvine residents will ever have to monopoly Southern California Edison.

On February 18th, SCE reported 200%+ profit growth — in the same year, evidence suggests its equipment sparked the devastating Eaton Fire that destroyed thousands of homes, all while the California Public Utilities Commission approved a 9% rate increase for customers.

Meanwhile, nearly 1 in 5 SCE households owes more than $800 on their electric bills.

Most of SCE’s profit surge comes from charging customers for wildfire costs that state investigators determined that SCE caused. Unbelievable right? But somehow, CPUC regulators have authorized SCE to recover $3.7 billion from ratepayers tied to the  2018 Woolsey Fire and 2017 Thomas Fire.

How is this possible? Because the investor-owned utilities (IOUs, namely SCE, Pacific Gas and Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric, and SoCalGas) are among the biggest lobbying spenders in California. In 2024 alone, they poured more than $8 million into lobbying state officials, including the Governor, who appoints all five CPUC commissioners.

That’s a rigged system, and the solution is choice. 

But despite all this, Agran forgets to mention that local, not-for-profit Orange County Power Authority has been delivering choice and lower rates to Irvine residents for the past two years.

Yes, Community Choice Energy programs and customers statewide are being harmed by a recent CPUC decision (now under appeal) that retroactively increases what CCE customers must pay for power contracts that IOUs entered into years ago. Yet another example of rules written to protect utility profits instead of families. The reality is that electricity rates change 4–6 times every year, so this situation is very temporary. 

But what does Agran do? Instead of standing up to SCE, he continues his obsessive campaign to undermine the only alternative Irvine residents will ever have.

Let’s remember:

Agran served on the City Council from 1978 to 1990, when he could have started a municipal electric utility (before the CPUC made that path impossible). Reminder: electric rates in Anaheim are half what they are in Irvine because Anaheim is served by a not-for-profit, city-owned municipal utility.

California authorized Community Choice in 2002 — and Agran could have led for Irvine then, too.

Did he?

No.

Now, when Irvine finally has a not-for-profit option that challenges SCE’s monopoly, he’s trying to tear it down.

Irvine families deserve relief from runaway utility bills — not recycled misinformation that protects the status quo. Fortunately, leaders like Irvine’s own Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris are working hard to reform our broken utility system. Let’s hope local leaders follow her lead. 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Irvine Watchdog.