OCPA is Coming to
Fountain Valley in
April 2027
Fountain Valley will begin offering residents and businesses a choice in electricity generation with the opportunity to purchase more renewable energy form healthier, more resilient community.
About Orange County Power Authority
Coming soon! Fountain Valley will be offering residents and businesses the ability to choose their electricity provider and purchase more renewable energy to create a healthier, more resilient community.
Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) will launch service in the city of Fountain Valley in April 2027 as an alternative to Southern California Edison (SCE), creating competition in the energy marketplace for the first time. The Fountain Valley City Council voted to become a member of OCPA in late 2024.
OCPA is a not-for-profit community clean energy provider founded in 2021 that currently serves the cities of Buena Park, Fullerton, and Irvine. OCPA offers three renewable energy plans at stable rates with customers having the freedom to choose their preferred plan, with each one helping customers reduce their carbon footprint.
What this means for electricity customers
Electricity customers in Fountain Valley will receive two notifications within 60 days of the April 2027 transition to OCPA. During this 60-day window, residents and businesses can change their renewable energy plan or choose to stay with SCE without transitioning to OCPA.
Residents and businesses will be automatically opted-in to OCPA when the transition occurs. The process is completely seamless and customers will not notice any change to their electricity service. Customers will receive two additional notices within 60 days after the transition informing them that OCPA is the default energy provider set by the City Council, and with information on OCPA’s renewable energy plans. Customers have the option of changing their OCPA plan, or returning to SCE at any time.
Look for OCPA-sponsored informational sessions, events, and communications to engage with staff and learn more about the new choice coming to Fountain Valley!
New Customer Notification Process
Pre-Enrollment and Post-Enrollment
How OCPA and SCE Work Together
When OCPA becomes the energy provider for Fountain Valley customers, SCE will continue to send monthly electricity bills and provide the transmission and delivery of electricity while maintaining the electrical grid. In an emergency or power outage, customers should call SCE.
Affordability and Rate Assistance Programs
OCPA customers have the same access to rate assistance programs as SCE customers. Rate relief provided through the California Alternate Rate for Energy (CARE), Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA), Arrearage Management Plan (AMP), Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) or Medical Baseline Allowance programs also applies to OCPA customers.
As a Not-for-Profit, OCPA Reinvests in Member Communities
As a not-for-profit energy provider, OCPA is committed to reinvesting in its community by prioritizing local initiatives that create lasting impact. Through customer energy programs and community grants, OCPA supports its member communities to foster a greener, more resilient future for Orange County. Visit the Energy Programs page to see the latest programs!
Cities Across California Benefit From Community Choice Energy
Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) is relatively new to Orange County, but it’s not new to California. Assembly Bill 117 was passed in 2002 to establish CCA, also known as community energy, which allows communities to join together to give Californians the opportunity to choose their electric provider and the source of their electricity. There are 25 CCAs across the state providing reliable, affordable, and clean energy to more than 15 million customers across 200+ towns, cities, and counties. Together, California’s CCAs are delivering innovative reinvestment programs that benefit local needs and state climate action goals.
Contact OCPA to Learn More
If you have questions, OCPA has answers! We know you might have questions, so please visit the Orange County Power Authority website or contact us by emailing info@ocpower.org or call (866) 262-7693 to learn more. You can also subscribe to the OCPA newsletter to receive updates or follow @ocpower on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is the difference between OCPA and my current energy provider?
You now have the power to choose your energy provider. Historically, Southern California Edison (SCE) has been the only power provider available to customers in Fountain Valley. But in 2002, California passed the Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) law that allowed cities and counties to procure electricity for customers in their respective areas. Now local governments can offer their communities an option for their electricity generation – one that provides renewable energy!
CCAs only work on energy generation, the for-profit utilities still transmit and deliver electricity to customers using their infrastructure.
OCPA is a not-for-profit community clean energy provider founded in 2021 that currently serves Buena Park, Fullerton and Irvine. OCPA offers three renewable energy plans at stable rates, allowing its customers to choose how much renewable energy they want OCPA to purchase on their behalf, contributing to more renewable energy being put onto the grid at a faster rate than from traditional electricity providers.
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When will energy customers in Fountain Valley be transitioned to OCPA?
Fountain Valley is projected to transition to OCPA in April 2027.
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What does the transition process look like?
You will receive two notifications in the 60-day period ahead of the transition to OCPA. Residents and businesses will be automatically opted-in to OCPA when the transition occurs. The process is completely seamless, and you will not notice any change to your electricity service.
Additionally, you will receive two more notices in the 60-day period after the transition confirming that OCPA is the default energy provider set by the City Council, and information on our three renewable energy plans.
Rest assured, you can change your OCPA plan or return to SCE at any time.
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What happens after OCPA becomes the default energy provider?
SCE will continue to send monthly electricity bills, and provide the transmission and delivery of electricity while maintaining the electrical grid. OCPA will appear on customer bills as a separate line item for “Generation”, which was previously included in SCE’s bundled cost to customers.
In an emergency or power outage, customers should call SCE.
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How much clean and renewable energy is available through OCPA?
OCPA offers three plans with different levels of renewable energy so customers can choose the one that feels right for them.
Fountain Valley residents will be enrolled in Basic Choice, OCPA’s lowest tier renewable energy plan. Customers can opt-up to Smart Choice to receive more renewable and carbon-free energy, or 100% Renewable to purchase all renewable energy. All OCPA plans offer more renewable and carbon-free energy than the investor-owned utility.
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What type of renewable energy is OCPA purchasing?
OCPA purchases a diverse portfolio of solar, wind, geothermal and biomass renewable energy.
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Can I choose my renewable energy plan?
Yes! All customers have a choice in how much renewable energy they want procured on their behalf. The City of Fountain Valley has selected Basic Choice as the default plan, and you can choose to stay in that plan or make a change to enroll in one of other OCPA Plans:
- Basic Choice, OCPA’s lowest-tier renewable energy plan;
- Smart Choice which offers more renewable energy and is $0.01 more per kWh than Basic Choice; and
- 100% Renewable, this plan is $0.015 more per kWh than our Basic Plan.