Frequently Asked Questions

Community Choice Aggregation

• What is Community Choice Aggregation (CCA)?

  In 2002, the California State Legislature allowed for cities and counties to procure electricity for customers within their respective jurisdictions. CCAs allow local governments to purchase renewable energy on behalf of their communities, while still receiving transmission and distribution service from for-profit utilities. 

  OCPA launched in 2022 and is part of a growing movement of 25 CCAs serving more than 15 million customers in California across 200 communities.

• Why are customers automatically enrolled in CCAs?

  For decades, investor-owned utilities have been the only electricity provider for customers in their jurisdictions. They would manage purchasing energy for customers (generation) and the transmission/delivery of the energy.

  In 2002 with Assembly Bill 117, California allowed for local control of energy purchasing decisions with the creation of Community Choice Aggregation (CCA). And to ensure everyone in the jurisdiction of a CCA had the opportunity to receive its benefits, the law designated CCAs as opt-out programs where customers in member cities are automatically opted-in to CCA energy generation.  The for-profit utility remains the transmission/delivery service. 

  The CCA and the for-profit utility must adhere to this state mandate, but customers can choose their CCA energy plan or opt-out and return to the for-profit utility for generation. 

Orange County Power Authority

• What is Orange County Power Authority (OCPA)?

  OCPA is a not-for-profit public agency. We are community-focused and locally run by elected officials from our member cities. We exist to reduce dependence on fossil fuels by providing renewable energy options at competitive rates. OCPA provides choice where there was none before. 

  OCPA is committed to providing cleaner electricity from renewable sources, and investing in innovative programs that benefit residents, businesses, the environment, and the local economy. Our revenue does not go to shareholders, it goes back to our communities. 

• Which Orange County communities are currently participating?

  OCPA’s current member cities are Buena Park, Fullerton, and Irvine, with Fountain Valley beginning service soon.

• When did service start?

  OCPA formally launched service in October 2022.

• What are the benefits of participating in OCPA?

  Participating in OCPA allows customers to play their own role in the clean energy future. Where once, people had to make big changes like installing solar panels or purchasing an EV to decrease their carbon footprint, now Orange County residents can make a difference just by being an OCPA customer!  

  By being an OCPA customer, you are also supporting:

  • Local control over energy purchasing decisions
  • Competition in the energy market 
  • Local jobs and workforce development
  • Community reinvestment
• What type of renewable energy is OCPA purchasing?

  OCPA purchases solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower, and biomass renewable energy.

• How do cities join OCPA?

  Local City Councils determine whether their city is a member of OCPA. If your city is not a member and you would like it to be, let your elected officials know you support not-for-profit community energy!

How OCPA and the For-Profit Utility Work Together

• How does it work?

  As a CCA, OCPA operates solely on the generation side – purchasing renewable energy. It does not manage transmission and distribution – the delivery of energy to homes and businesses, which is the responsibility of the investor-owned utility. For Orange County, this is either SCE or SDGE.

• What changes when I become an OCPA customer?

  OCPA will become your energy generation service, and SCE will remain your transmission/delivery service. Your electricity bill has two parts: Generation and Transmission/Delivery. Your bill will now have OCPA listed for your Generation rather than SCE.

  OCPA will purchase energy on your behalf based on the amount you use, and we will add it to the electric grid. You can choose your renewable energy plan, and we will purchase the corresponding amount of renewable energy. 

  SCE will continue sending your bill, which will now have Generation from OCPA instead of SCE. SCE maintains the electricity infrastructure, so if you experience problems with your electricity, you will contact SCE.

• Who will my bill come from?

  OCPA customers continue to receive their monthly bill from SCE. Your electricity bill has two parts: Generation and Transmission/Delivery. OCPA customer bills will have OCPA listed for their Generation rather than SCE, which has historically provided Generation service.

  OCPA is NOT an added or duplicate fee; it simply replaces SCE’s generation charges. We have created a page where you can see what may change on your electric bill, and how to read your bill. Visit: https://www.ocpower.org/understanding-your-bill/

   

• What's the difference between generation and transmission/delivery?

  California electricity bills are broken into two parts: about 30% of a customer’s bill is the cost of energy (OCPA), and about 70% of the bill is the cost of transmitting and delivering the energy to you (SCE). The transmission/delivery side of the bill also includes additional charges such as grid maintenance, wildfire mitigation, and public purpose funds.

• What stays the same when I become an OCPA customer?

  You will continue to experience uninterrupted electricity service. You will also continue receiving your electricity bill from SCE, which will continue to deliver the electricity to your home. SCE maintains the electricity infrastructure, so if you experience problems with your electricity, you will contact SCE.  

• Will power reliability change if I am an OCPA customer?

  No. The reliability of the grid will remain the same as it is maintained and balanced by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO). If you experience a service outage, you will continue to contact SCE, which maintains the electricity infrastructure.

• Do people and businesses in member cities have the choice not to be an OCPA customer?

  Yes! OCPA is all about choice. When a city becomes a member of a CCA, its residents and businesses are automatically enrolled in CCA service. Each city sets a default energy plan, but customers can choose a different plan or opt-out and return to the for-profit utility for energy generation. 

  As of 2025, OCPA member cities have the following default renewable energy plans:

  • Irvine: Basic Choice
  • Buena Park: Smart Choice
  • Fullerton: Smart Choice

  For more information on OCPA’s renewable energy options, visit ocpower.org/your-options. We also offer a Rate Comparison Calculator to help customers make an informed choice about how much renewable energy they want to choose.

• If I choose the 100% Renewable Choice plan, does that mean 100% of the energy I get is clean energy?

  The California Independent Systems Operator (CAISO) maintains the state’s grid to ensure reliability of electricity. There is no way to distinguish between electrons on the distribution system at any given moment.

  However, OCPA procures renewable energy based on each customer’s selection. A customer’s decision to select 100% Renewable Energy directly increases the amount of renewable energy OCPA procures on behalf of that customer. An individual customer or community’s decision to go 100% Renewable leads to OCPA purchasing additional power from renewable sources.

Rates and Incentive Programs

• How do OCPA rates compare to SCE?

  OCPA offers three renewable energy plans, each with rates that are competitive with SCE’s generation rate. The energy plans and cost comparisons are outlined below:

  • Basic Choice Plan: provides 49.2% renewable energy and is competitive to SCE’s generation rate (2026)
  • Smart Choice Plan: provides 60% renewable energy + 55% carbon-free energy. This plan is $0.01 more per kWh than our Basic Choice Plan (2026)
  • 100% Renewable Choice Plan: All renewable energy for $0.015 more per kWh than our Basic Choice Plan
• Who decides what rates OCPA charges?

  OCPA’s rates are set annually by our Board of Directors. For 2025, our rates are benchmarked off the for-profit utility’s rates. Therefore, if the for-profit utility’s rates are adjusted, OCPA adjusts its rates accordingly to maintain a 3% discount off SCE’s equivalent generation rate for our Basic Choice plan. This is the 2025 Board-approved rate design. 

• Where can I get more information on rates?

  The main menu on the OCPA website lists “Billing & Rates,” and the drop-down menu has options for residential rates and commercial rates. We also offer a rate comparison calculator or you can also contact us by phone at 1-866-262-7693.

• Can I get a similar renewable energy or green rate through SCE?

  While SCE did offer a green rate program, it is closed because capacity has been met. OCPA offers three renewable energy plans at competitive rates to SCE, and customers can choose how much renewable energy they want purchased on their behalf.

• Does OCPA offer rate assistance programs?

  OCPA customers have access to the same rate assistance programs that the for-profit utilities offer. Rate relief provided through the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE), Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA), Arrearage Management Plan (AMP), Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), and Medical Baseline programs remain available to eligible OCPA customers.

Solar and Net Energy Metering (NEM)

• How does this work with my solar panel system?

  If you have solar panels, each month your electricity meter tracks how much electricity you needed from the electric grid and how much extra energy you sent to the grid. The difference between the energy you use and the energy you produce is called ‘net energy.’ The net energy is shown on the bill as negative usage when you’re a net generator (generate more electricity than you use), or positive usage when you’re a net consumer (use more electricity than you generate). SCE automatically tracks your net energy and appropriately credits or charges you monthly based on your rate schedule.

• How does OCPA work with my regular billing and annual true-up?

  OCPA bills monthly, so you don’t end up with a year’s worth of charges at the annual true-up. Solar customers, like all electricity customers, are serviced by both OCPA and SCE, and are billed under the Net Energy Metering program. OCPA offers NEM 2.0 benefits rather than the Net Billing Tariff (NEM 3.0).  Transitioning to OCPA does not affect a customer’s rate schedule or participation in earlier versions of NEM (1.0 and 2.0).

  Customers that produce more energy than they use are considered “net generators” – they receive Net Surplus Compensation (NSC) for the clean energy they send to the grid. OCPA gives customers an NSC rate that is 10% higher than SCE!

  OCPA will true up all customers on an annual basis each April, rather than on a unique date for each customer. A “true up” in April may allow our solar customers to benefit from their NEM program in the summer, when excess credits are often generated, and benefit in the winter, when those credits are often used up.

• If my solar panels produce more energy than I use, do I continue to get compensated if I participate in OCPA?

  Yes! OCPA’s NSC rate is set at 10% above SCE’s prevailing NSC rate.

For more information

• Where can I get more information?

  Call us at 866-262-7693, or email us at answers@ocpower.org.