Orange County Power Authority Rises Up the Ranks of Top U.S. Green Power Providers

In just its second year of service, OCPA has been recognized by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for having the second highest green power sales in the country

IRVINE, Calif. (September 23, 2024) – Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) has been recognized as one of the top U.S. green power providers by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for the second year in a row.

Notable is that year over year, while OCPA remains the number eight Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) agency for the amount of customers served, it has risen from number six to number two for green power sales (MWh) according to the NREL’s 2023 Utility Green Pricing Program.

“Not only does this honor illustrate OCPA’s tremendous impact, it also demonstrates that Orange County is eager to embrace renewable energy,” said Fred Jung, OCPA Board Chair. “OCPA has dramatically expanded competitively-priced clean energy, and customers are making the choice to reduce their carbon footprint and build a healthier, more resilient future.”

The NREL finding confirms that OCPA continues to be one of the cleanest and greenest CCAs in the U.S. As of December 2023, OCPA sold over 2.27 million megawatt hours of clean power to approximately 290,000 customers. Its 2023 Power Content Label, scheduled for release in November, shows OCPA purchased an aggregate portfolio of approximately 86% renewable energy on behalf of its customers, with approximately 81% coming from carbon-free resources. This exceeds the mandatory state requirements for the purchase of renewable energy and exceeds OCPA’s voluntary renewable energy goals.

OCPA offers three renewable energy plans that increasingly replace fossil fuels with clean energy from solar, wind, biomass and geothermal. The Basic Choice plan offers at least 44% renewable energy and costs 3% less than Southern California Edison’s equivalent generation rate. Two other plans offer higher percentages of renewable power – Smart Choice with at least 72% renewable energy and 100% Renewable Choice – and cost just slightly more than the Basic Choice plan. 

Nearly 3 out of 4 OCPA customers are on the 100% Renewable Choice plan and 18% are on the Smart Choice plan. Collectively, since OCPA began service, its customers have helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking over 221,000 gas-powered vehicles off the road. Clearly demonstrating the power of community energy agencies, who are putting more renewable energy onto the power grid at a faster rate than the for-profit, investor-owned utilities. 

About Orange County Power Authority

The Orange County Power Authority is a not-for-profit public agency that offers clean power at competitive rates, significantly reducing energy-related greenhouse emissions and enabling reinvestment in local energy programs. To learn more, visit www.ocpower.org.