Q&A with Kathleen Treseder, Orange County Power Authority Vice Chair

What inspired you to get involved in the renewable energy movement?

I am a climate change professor at the University of California, Irvine, so I teach my students about climate change and how little time we have left to address it. I saw that my students were becoming increasingly distressed about the situation and I thought I should be doing more.

I investigated all the ways we could take action, and I found that renewable energy programs like the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) are by far the most effective way to address climate change. That’s why I started to ask cities to get involved with renewable energy and form a Community Choice Aggregation in Orange County.

What excites you about California and its commitment to lead the way in sustainability?

As California goes, so goes the nation in terms of environmental policy. When California enacts environmental policies, it encourages other states to follow suit and model what is working here. They don’t have to reinvent the wheel. As manufacturers here adopt the new environmental standards, it becomes easier for manufacturers in other states to be able to replicate what’s being done here.

What do you hope to accomplish as an OCPA Board member?

I want to have a fully functioning agency that consistently accomplishes its mission to deliver 100% renewable energy at competitive rates or at a discount compared to what the for-profit utility offers.

What do you like to tell people about OCPA?

We are making very good headway. We’re just about finished reforming the agency to ensure transparency, so the public can trust what OCPA is doing. I encourage everyone I know to stick with OCPA – or consider re-enrolling, if they opted-out. OCPA is now in good hands, and I wholeheartedly recommend that city leaders and energy customers who are interested in taking bold action against climate change – choose OCPA over a for-profit utility for their energy needs.

What ideas or tips do you have for those who are looking to live more sustainably?

By far the biggest impact energy customers can make is to be a part of OCPA and enroll in the 100% Renewable Choice plan. You don’t need to buy solar panels to reduce your carbon footprint. You will have no guilt turning on your light switches knowing that you are investing in renewable energy.

What is your hope for Orange County and our future?

It is my hope that all cities in Orange County will join OCPA and that we’ll all be offering our residents and businesses 100% renewable energy. Orange County uses more energy than many countries, Costa Rica for example. If our entire county goes to 100% renewable energy, we’ll be making a huge dent in greenhouse gas emissions.

OCPA Vice Chair and City of Irvine Councilmember, Kathleen Treseder, Ph.D., is the Howard A. Schneiderman Endowed Chair and Professor at University of California, Irvine where she leads an internationally recognized research program studying how climate change affects endangered ecosystems and our society.

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.