IRVINE, Calif. — California has been inching toward clean energy goals with a slate of policies pushed through the state legislature and championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

But the average person first experiences change at the local level. Cities around the state have preempted Sacramento policy in anticipation of forthcoming rules or out of a sense of urgency to become green as soon as possible.


What You Need To Know

  • Irvine hopes to be carbon neutral by 2030, an ambitious goal that it plans to aggressively work toward next year

  • The city founded the Orange County Power Authority and has signed up three other cities to accept clean energy from the not-for-profit energy provider

  • The OCPA has access to an initial $35 million to provide services to businesses in the spring and can access up to $75 million as the year draws on and services are extended to residents

  • The OCPA is still determining which vendors can provide for the energy needs of all four participants 

The city of Irvine is among the greenest cities in the state and has been pushing to become carbon neutral by 2030. The city hopes to achieve this with the freshly launched Orange County Power Authority, an entity charged with bringing green energy to customers.

“We’re hoping we’re going to be able to get everyone to buy in,” said Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan.

Irvine is not the first to spearhead a clean energy administration to organize and process customer orders and purchase clean energy, and it’s still gathering support. Right now, it includes Huntington Beach, Buena Park and Fullerton. The authority has access to $75 million to purchase energy over the next year. Irvine, which initiated the OCPA and is financing the start-up costs for the not-for-profit, holds two of the five board seats.

The math is simple: The more cities buy into the contract, the cheaper the rates for everyone. 

The next step for the OCPA is to find enough vendors to support the clean energy needs for all member cities. Khan said the plan is to offer packages of 100% clean energy to businesses in the spring. Next fall, the program will offer a range of options to private customers. Some will be able to pay a premium for clean energy, and others may choose options that are 50% clean energy or less.

While clean energy is the hallmark program of Irvine’s green energy initiative, the city built inroads with residents to help improve energy efficiency and decrease the carbon footprint of area buildings. Khan stressed the need to continue conversations with the business community and builders to prioritize more efficient building practices.

Climate change, polls suggest, has become a top concern for Californians.

The Public Policy Institute of California reports that 70% of likely voters believe the effects of climate exchange have already begun. Policies have followed this robust voter response. Newsom pushed up the emissions standards guidelines for cars purchased in the state. By 2025, all cars will need to average 50 miles per gallon.

Irvine wants to get ahead of those mandates and make the city as welcoming as possible for electric vehicles. Khan said the city has about 400 EV ports with plans to add an additional 250 in the near future.

The city has other programs in place to help low-income residents convert to more efficient appliances or greener lawns. That program, One Irvine, pairs residents with hardware or other tools like more energy-efficient light bulbs. Another key is updates. Some older homes may need to be rewired or have less than efficient windows or cooling units.

But Khan said it’s not only about what programs the government can finance but about what modes of participation it can develop to empower residents to help each other prioritize green efforts.

“At the same time, we’re asking people to look at their bills and see where they can do better and see where they can be more prepared for disasters,” she said.

California’s energy future is complicated by the rising frequency of wildfires that have threatened infrastructure over the years. And with spiking temperatures, summertime energy needs skyrocket as Californians crank the air conditioning units. Local and state officials hope green energy like wind and solar will diversify the energy sources for the state, increasing total capacity and easing the stress on a system that sometimes struggles to provide during the hottest months of the year.

Locally, the success of clean energy in the short term may be up to Irvine.

“I think it’s going to take a push, and that’s going to have to come from Irvine to take those bold steps,” Khan said.