Irvine, September 10 — Last night, the Irvine City Council voted 5-2 to rescind its notice of intent to withdraw from the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA), the regional Community Choice Energy program the city helped launch. The withdrawal notice, drafted in December 2024 for potential submission this year, was never finalized.

This decision follows strong community pushback, where residents voice concerns over the growing affordability crisis and soaring costs, as well as the desire for local clean power. By rescinding its withdrawal notice, Irvine reaffirms its commitment to lower bills, climate targets, and local energy choice.

“The City Council showed bold leadership last night in remaining committed to OCPA,” said Tomas Castro, Equity Advocate and Organizer with Climate Action Campaign, “At a time when the federal government is attempting to stifle the clean energy transition, Irvine is proving that local elected officials can stand up for our future.”

Nicole Capretz, Chief Executive Officer of Climate Action Campaign, issued the following statement:

“Community turnout at last night’s vote was overwhelmingly in favor of staying in the nonprofit public agency Orange County Power Authority—by a margin of 4 to 1. That’s incredible. That’s because people see the benefits of OCPA firsthand: lower bills, cleaner energy, plugging revenues back into the community, and protection from the unchecked rate hikes of monopoly utilities.

Our number one priority is ensuring communities have affordable, clean, and safe energy. Community Choice Energy programs like OCPA are the only way to make that happen.

We thank the Irvine City Council for listening to the voices of hundreds of residents and choosing to stay in OCPA. This decision sets the tone for the rest of the region: community choice energy is here to stay.”