AGENDA
ORANGE COUNTY POWER AUTHORITY
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY COMMITTEE Wednesday, November 13, 2024
12:00 p.m.
This meeting will proceed as an in-person meeting at 15310 Barranca Parkway, Suite 250, Irvine, CA 92618. In addition, as a convenience to the public, the Orange County Power Authority is also providing an option for members of the public to remotely view and participate in the meeting.
Further details are below. Please note that, in the event of a technical issue causing a disruption in the remote participation option, the meeting may continue unless otherwise required by law.
Note: Any member of the public may provide comments to the Committee on agenda items only by requesting to speak during Item 4. When providing comments to the Committee, it is requested that you provide your name and city of residence for the record. Commenters are requested to address their comments to the Committee as a whole through the Chair. Comments may be provided in the following manner:
To provide comments during the meeting, in-person attendees, please fill out the public speaker slip and provide it to the clerk at the beginning of the meeting. Before Item 4, the Chair or Clerk will ask members ofthe public to join the queue to provide public comment. The queue will remain open for a reasonable amount of time to allow members of the public sufficient time to request to speak and inform the Committee of the number of speakers. After such time, the queue will be closed and the members of the public who have joined the queue to speak will be recognized at the appropriate time may speak. To join the queue on Zoom video conference by computer or mobile phone, use the “Raise Hand” feature. If joining the meeting using the Zoom dial-in number, you can raise your hand and join the queue by pressing *9. Members of the public will not be shown on video but will be able to speak when called upon.
Comments shall generally be limited to three minutes when speaking, provided that the Chair may equally reduce each speaker’s time to accommodate a large number of speakers or a large number of agenda items. If you have anything that you wish to be distributed to the Committee, please provide it via [email protected], who will distribute the information to the Members.
The public may participate using the following remote options:
ZOOM WEBINAR
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
Launch Meeting - Zoom
Dial-in: 1-669-900-6833
Webinar ID: 897 5815 6105
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
3. ROLL CALL
4. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS ONLY
Opportunity for members of the public to address the Committee on any items on the agenda.
5. COMMITTEE MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS
Committee Members may briefly provide information to other members of the Committee and the public, ask questions of staff, or report on conferences, events, or activities related to Authority business. There is to be no discussion or action taken on comments made by Committee Members unless authorized by law.
6. CONSENT CALENDAR
All items listed under the Consent Calendar are considered to be routine and may be enacted by one motion. Prior to the motion to consider any action by the Legislative and Regulatory Committee, any public comments on any of the Consent Items will be heard.
There will be no separate action unless members of the Legislative and Regulatory Committee request specific items be removed from the Consent Calendar.
1. MINUTES FOR THE LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY COMMITTEE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 5, 2024
Recommended Action:
Approve as submitted.
7. REGULAR CALENDAR
The following items call for discussion or action by the Committee. The Committee may discuss and/or take action on any item listed below if the Committee is so inclined.
1. WEST-WIDE GOVERNANCE PATHWAYS INITIATIVE UPDATE
Recommended Action:
Receive and file.
2. LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY POLICY PLATFORM
Recommended Action:
Review and Provide Feedback.
8. ADJOURNMENT
Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act
OCPA meetings comply with the protections and prohibitions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Individuals with a disability who require a modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services, in order to participate in the public meeting may contact 949-263-2612. Requests for disability-related modifications or accommodations require different lead times and should be provided at least 72-hours in advance of the public meeting.
Availability of Documents
Copies of the agenda and agenda packet are available at www.ocpower.org. Late-arriving documents related to a Committee meeting item which are distributed to a majority of the Committee prior to or during the Committee meeting are available for public review as required by law. Public records, including agenda-related documents, can be requested electronically at [email protected] or by mail to 15642 Sand Canyon Avenue, P.O. Box 54283, Irvine, CA 92619-4283. The documents may also be posted at the above website.
Such public records are also available for inspection, by appointment, at 15310 Barranca Parkway, Suite 250, Irvine, CA 92618. Please contact [email protected] to arrange an appointment.
MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING
LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY COMMITTEE
ORANGE COUNTY POWER AUTHORITY
Thursday, September 5, 2024
OCPA Legislative & Regulatory Regular Meeting of September 5, 2024 Page 1
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Jung called to order the Regular Meeting of the Legislative and Regulatory Committee at 2:04 p.m. on Thursday, September 5, 2024.
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Chair Jung led the Pledge of Allegiance.
3. ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Fred Jung City of Fullerton
Director Kathleen Treseder City of Irvine
4. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS
None
5. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
None
6. COMMITTEE MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS
None
7. CONSENT CALENDAR
Moved by Director Treseder and seconded by Chair Jung to approve the February 29, Minutes.
The motion carried unanimously by the following vote:
Ayes: Chair Jung, Director Treseder
Noes: None
Absent: None
OCPA Legislative & Regulatory Regular Meeting of September 5, 2024 Page 2
1. MINUTES FOR THE LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY COMMITTEE MEETING OF FEBRUARY 29, 2024
Action Taken:
Approved as submitted.
8. REGULAR CALENDAR
1. REGULATORY AND LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Regulatory and Legislative Manager, Steven Halligan, provided a summary of the presentation on this item.
Action Taken:
Received and filed.
9. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the Committee, Chair Jung adjourned the meeting at 2:39 p.m.
Submitted by:
Pat Jacquez-Nares, Board Authority Secretary
ORANGE COUNTY POWER AUTHORITY
Staff Report – Item 7.1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: Orange County Power Authority Legislative and Regulatory Committee From: Steven Halligan, Regulatory and Legislative Manager Approved by: Joe Mosca, Chief Executive Officer
Subject:
Date:
WEST-WIDE GOVERNANCE PATHWAYS INITIATIVE UPDATE
November 13, 2024
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Receive and file.
BACKGROUND
The West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative (Pathways Initiative) was launched in the summer of 2023 by a coalition of regulators from five Western states, including California, who helped form a Launch Committee representing a diverse group of Western stakeholders. The Launch Committee has been working since the Fall of 2023 to develop a proposal for the continued evolution of governance over the Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM) and Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM).
The Pathways Initiative is an effort to regionalize the state’s main electric grid by creating a new entity that could serve as a means for delivering a market that includes all states 14 in the Western interconnection, including California, with independent governance. A unified, west-wide market can deliver substantial customer benefits including improving grid reliability, maintaining affordability, and connecting clean energy throughout the West.
The Pathways Initiative developed a stakeholder process involving a 26-member Launch Committee, including representatives of various sectors, such as: investor- and publicly- owned utilities in California, CCAs, utility labor organizations, public interest (largely environmental organizations), power marketers, independent generators, large energy users, and other sectors, both within and outside California.
In late spring 2024, the Launch Committee finalized a “Step 1 Proposal” and a commitment to work on “Step 2.” The Step 1 Proposal was submitted as a recommendation to the CAISO to move the existing governance of the CAISO’s WEIM and EDAM toward greater independence from the CAISO Board of Governors by elevating the WEIM’s Governing Body [recently renamed Western Energy Markets (WEM) Governing Body] decision-making authority in market related matters from its existing “Joint Authority” with the CAISO Board of Governors to “Primary Authority.” Relatedly, the Step 1 Proposal would modify the current process for resolving disputes between the WEM Governing Body and the CAISO Governing Board by requiring the CAISO to make a “dual filing” of both bodies’ proposals to FERC. The proposal includes a trigger for the Step 1 governance transition based on reaching 70 percent of load that is represented by the non-CAISO EDAM entities. As of June, the chairs of the CAISO Governing Board and WEM Governing Body accepted receipt of the recommendation for the Step 1 Proposal and directed the staff to initiate a “robust stakeholder process, in partnership with the Launch Committee.” The CAISO has held two public meetings and solicited comments with the goal of scheduling a vote on the Step 1 Proposal at a joint meeting of the CAISO Governing Board and WEM Governing Body on August 13th.
In a parallel effort, the Launch Committee is developing a Step 2 proposal that may require legislative authorization to implement. The second phase of the WWGPI would create a regional organization (RO) and give it sole authority over the markets. The initiative is proposing that the regional organization would be a non-profit that operates for the public’s benefit. Comments on Phase 2 were due October 25. The group aims to make a final decision on Phase 2 in late 2024.
Once a decision has been made, California legislation will be required to allow the transition of authority from CAISO to the new RO. The initiative intends to launch the regional organization in early 2026.
What is the Western Energy Imbalance Market?
• In addition to running a day-ahead wholesale electricity market in its balancing authority area, the CAISO also operates the WEIM. Established in 2014, the WEIM extends the ISO’s real-time market to other balancing authority areas in the West. WEIM participants, including the ISO, gain substantial economic, operational, and environmental advantages by trading energy supply and demand across a large geographic area in real time. Since its inception, the WEIM has grown to 22 participating entities representing 79% of the load in the Western Interconnection and has produced more than $5 billion in benefits. The WEIM is an energy-only market, and participants determine how transmission and generation resources engage in the market. The market platform allows participants the flexibility of controlling their assets and maintaining their own compliance responsibilities for managing their system as required by North American Electric Reliability Corporation and Western Electricity Coordinating Council) standards, while gaining access to a large pool of diverse resources across multiple western states and extending to the border with Canada and Mexico.
• The WEIM is governed by a five-member body with shared authority from the ISO Board of Governors on rules specific to participation to the WEIM and the Extended Day-Ahead Market that is set to launch in 2026. Designed by regional stakeholders, the governing body is nominated by a committee of western stakeholders. These members bring a high level of professionalism and leadership, with work experience in public power, investor-owned utilities, and as state regulators.
What is the Extended Day-Ahead Market?
• The Extended Day-Ahead Market is a voluntary day ahead electricity market designed to deliver significant reliability, economic, and environmental benefits to balancing areas and utilities throughout the West. Building on the proven success and tangible benefits of the real time Western Energy Imbalance Market, the EDAM can increase regional coordination, support states’ policy goals, and meet demand cost-effectively. Since its launch in 2014, the WEIM has grown to 22 participating balancing areas representing 79% of the load in the Western Interconnection and exceeds $5 billion in benefits. By leveraging the significant resource diversity and transmission connectivity between major supply and demand regions throughout the Western United States, the EDAM is designed to deliver additional benefits to those realized in the WEIM through greater reliability coordination and resource optimization. The EDAM initiative, which leverages and builds on existing features of the ISO’s day-ahead market and the WEIM, includes elements found in similar markets across the country, and used extensive stakeholder input to further improve the market design. The EDAM design was jointly approved by the ISO Board of Governors and WEIM Governing Body in February 2023. In December 2023, FERC accepted the EDAM tariff changes. PacifiCorp, which serves customers in California and five other Western states, and the Balancing Area of Northern California (BANC), which includes the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, have announced their intent to join the EDAM, and we are working with them on their implementation schedules to support their onboarding in 2026. Depending on the number of interested parties, this will also allow for additional participants to onboard in 2026
FISCAL IMPACT
None
ATTACHMENTS
None
ORANGE COUNTY POWER AUTHORITY
Staff Report – Item 7.2
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: Orange County Power Authority Legislative and Regulatory Committee From: Steven Halligan, Regulatory and Legislative Manager Approved by: Joe Mosca, Chief Executive Officer
Subject: DRAFT 2025 OCPA LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY POLICY
PLATFORM
Date: November 13, 2024
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Review and Provide Feedback.
BACKGROUND
In December 2023, the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) Board adopted the first OCPA Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform (Platform) with the intention to review and update the policy annually. The Platform serves as a guide to the OCPA Board of Directors and staff in their advocacy efforts and engagement on policy matters of interest to OCPA. The Platform allows both members of the OCPA Board of Directors and OCPA staff to pursue actions at the regional, state, and federal legislative and regulatory levels in a consistent manner and with the understanding that they are pursuing actions in the best interest of the organization and its mission, its customers, and its member agencies.
The Platform enables the organization to move swiftly to respond to issues brought before Legislature and Executive Branch agencies including the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the California Energy Commission (CEC), California Independent System Operator (CAISO), and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) so that OCPA’s views can be heard on important matters in a timely fashion.
The Platform provides direction to OCPA staff on positions that should be taken on regulatory matters and legislative bill proposals. The Platform also provides guidance to the Chief Executive Officer on positions that should be taken on legislative and regulatory matters that come before the California Community Choice Association (CalCCA) Board of Directors.
The 2025 Policy Platform has one main addition compared to the 2024 Policy Platform. Staff are suggesting that the 2025 Policy Platform includes a new priority focus area – Regionalization. This would be the ninth priority focus area in addition to: 1) Affordability and Rates, 2) Clean and Reliable Grid, 3) Climate Change Mitigation, 4) Customer Programs, 5) Data Access, 6) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, 7) Local Control and Development, and 8) Power Resources Planning and Procurement.
After receiving feedback from the Legislative and Regulatory Committee, OCPA staff will solicit feedback from additional stakeholders including the Community Advisory Committee, member agencies, and non-governmental organizations. Once feedback is received, a final draft Platform will be presented to the Board in January 2025.
The approved 2024 OCPA Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform, a redlined 2025 policy (compared to the 2024) policy, and a clean Draft 2025 OCPA Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform are attached.
FISCAL IMPACT
None
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Approved 2024 OCPA Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform Attachment 2 – Draft 2025 OCPA Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform (Clean) Attachment 3 – Draft 2025 OCPA Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform (Redlined from 2024 Platform)
2024 ORANGE COUNTY POWER AUTHORITY
LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY POLICY PLATFORM
OVERVIEW AND PURPOSE
The Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform (Platform) serves as a guide to the OCPA Board of Directors and staff in their advocacy efforts and engagement on policy matters of interest to OCPA. The Platform allows both members of the OCPA Board of Directors and OCPA staff to pursue actions at the regional, state, and federal legislative and regulatory levels in a consistent manner and with the understanding that they are pursuing actions in the best interest of the organization and its mission, customers, and member agencies.
The Platform enables the organization to move swiftly to respond to issues brought before Legislature and Executive Branch agencies including the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the California Energy Commission (CEC), California Independent System Operator (CAISO), and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) so that OCPA’s views can be heard on important matters in a timely fashion.
The Platform provides direction to OCPA staff on positions that should be taken on regulatory matters and legislative bill proposals. The Platform also provides guidance to the Chief Executive Officer on positions that should be taken on legislative and regulatory matters that come before the California Community Choice Association (CalCCA) Board of Directors.
POLICY PLATFORM
AFFORDABILITY AND RATES
OCPA supports rates that are competitively priced, enable high-value services to OCPA customers, and support cost-of-service that includes funds needed to cover operations, meet reserve targets, and fund decarbonization programs.
OCPA will:
- Support policies that promote affordable rates for all Californians while ensuring ratepayer equity and maintaining ratemaking autonomy for Community Choice Aggregators (CCA).
- Support policies that minimize the cost of service and eliminate unnecessary costs so OCPA can provide more affordable electricity to customers. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will ensure that non-bypassable charges assessed for OCPA customers are fair, and that OCPA’s customers are not unnecessarily burdened by non-bypassable charges.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives to ensure that OCPA is eligible to apply and receive funding made available to the electricity sector for decarbonization, reliability, and affordability purposes, and that OCPA’s financial health is not disparately impacted by new regulations.
- Advocate for Provider of Last Resort fees that appropriately factor in the risk of LSE failure.
- Support rate structures that encourage electrification. - Advocate for rate reform so programs like wildfire mitigation and public purpose programs are funded outside of rates.
CLEAN AND RELIABLE GRID
OCPA supports investments and removal of barriers in building transmission and renewable projects to enable the transition to a cleaner grid. OCPA supports a reliable electric system, including the smart buildout of the distribution grid to prepare for increased electrification.
OCPA will:
- Support investments in transmission upgrades and efforts to reduce interconnection barriers and distribution grid failures, including addressing permitting challenges and increasing transparency.
- Support efforts to ease supply chain challenges and get renewable projects online faster. - Advocate for investments that increase the reliability of the electric system and recognize the role of fossil plants as the system transitions to renewables. - Ensure that penalties increase the production of renewables instead of simply raising the floor price of energy in the market.
CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION
OCPA supports funding, projects, and programs to decarbonize the economy, especially in the electric, building, and transportation sectors. OCPA seeks opportunities to amplify our programs through regional, state, and federal levels both through policy and funding. OCPA supports efforts to remove barriers to fuel switching/decarbonization.
OCPA will:
- Understand and advocate for funding opportunities to support clean energy and climate change mitigation, including the Federal Inflation Reduction Act. - Support efforts to transition buildings to electric, including removing the obligation to serve gas requirement and efforts to modernize permitting. - Support funding for EV infrastructure and ensure EV policies are technology neutral. - Advocate for the fair valuation of resources, including capturing the value of demand-side resources better in the CAISO. - Advocate for increased funding for clean energy workforce training and investments to reduce fossil damage in low-income communities.
- Support efforts to decarbonize industrial uses and processes, including reducing the use of baseload fuel cells that use natural gas.
CUSTOMER PROGRAMS
OCPA supports funding to provide energy support services, education, and opportunities for reducing energy costs to all customers including those who are low-income, seniors, veterans, and/or people with disabilities. OCPA supports policies and efforts to ensure that services and education are offered in languages other than English.
OCPA will:
- Support legislation and initiatives that increase funding for energy efficiency, demand response, solar plus storage, transportation electrification programs, and energy literacy services.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will enable OCPA to pursue demand response programs and opportunities for its customers.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives to promote electrification of the transportation sector in response to state and federal goals aimed at increasing the usage of zero emission vehicles.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that support the ability of OCPA to promote electrification and the reduction of natural gas usage in the building sector. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that support the ability of OCPA and its member agencies to offer local grid management and resiliency solutions to increase local reliability and adaptability that could protect against power outages and extreme heat.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that support the ability of OCPA to offer and utilize distributed energy resources as part of its reliability, resiliency and community engagement strategies.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that support the ability of OCPA to explore new opportunities related to behind the meter clean energy resources. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that support the ability of OCPA to offer programs directed at multi-family properties.
DATA ACCESS
OCPA recognizes the importance of having accurate and timely data. This data is vital to improve billing accuracy and to inform the development and implementation of customer programs. It is important that OCPA is not charged exorbitant fees to obtain this data.
OCPA will:
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will enable OCPA to obtain timely and accurate access to its customers’ data to improve billing accuracy and inform the development and implementation of customer programs.
- Support policies that enhance timely access by CCAs to quality billing data to enable demand flexibility initiatives and innovative rate design. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives to ensure that the fees due to Investor-Owned Utilities for data access and management are fairly assessed based on data needs and potential technological improvements.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
OCPA supports policies that consider equitable treatment of low-income and historically underserved communities through affordable electricity rates, priority access to decarbonization and climate mitigation programs.
OCPA will:
- Support programs that invest in low-income and historically disadvantaged communities (communities of concern) either through separate tracks that dedicate funding to or that give deeper levels of subsidies for these groups.
- Support multi-family properties and tenant access to the benefits of decarbonization programs and tenant protections.
- Support efforts to repeal Proposition 209, which limits public agencies’ ability to engage in equity efforts.
- Support legislation and regulation that supports the ability of communities of concern in the OCPA service area to have affordable, reliable and clean energy. - Support legislation and regulation that strengthens the resilience of vulnerable communities to the impacts of climate change.
- Support legislation and regulation that enables all communities, including emerging and historically marginalized communities in California, to participate in decarbonization efforts.
- Support legislation, regulation and policies that internalize the externalities of carbon, through true cost pricing and social cost accounting.
- Support legislation and initiatives that would reduce local air pollution, reduce other negative local impacts associated with energy production, and boost adoption of distributed energy resources within communities of concern. - Oppose legislation and initiatives that have the potential to disproportionately and negatively impact communities of concern.
LOCAL CONTROL AND DEVELOPMENT
OCPA supports the CCA model of local government governance, while acknowledging system-wide needs. Any system needs should give maximum flexibility to allow local authority and discretion to meet goals. OCPA will support any legislation, policies, funding, referenda, and budgets that maintain or improve the stability of CCAs by ensuring regulatory structure is equitable and enables CCAs to meet their mission and goals. Maintaining local decision-making authority, including rate-setting authority and procurement of energy, is a key pillar for this stability.
OCPA will:
- Advocate for fair and equitable exit fees that prevent cost-shifting among customers. - Oppose policy mandates that violate CCA ratemaking autonomy. - Engage in conversations about the role of a “Central Procurement Entity” that preserves CCA’s responsibility to procure energy while finding a system that maximizes cost efficiency and reliability.
- Advocate for flexible Brown Act requirements that allow remote access for both the public and board members.
- Advocate for goal-based procurement instead of prescriptive, technology-specific mandates.
- Advocate for increased visibility into the distribution grid and an open access platform to provide clear information and signals about where Distribute Energy Resource buildout is optimal.
- Oppose any legislation, policies, funding, referenda, and budgets that undermine or circumvent CCAs and impede the ability of OCPA to achieve its mission and goals or its value proposition.
- Support any legislation, policy, funding, referenda, and budgets that enhance OCPA’s ability to invest in local clean energy, including infill solar and battery storage, as well as other distributed energy resources, grid resiliency, zero-emission transportation, all while promoting equity in the communities that it serves.
- Oppose any legislation, policy, funding, referenda, and budgets that limit or undermine OCPA’s ability to invest in local clean energy, distributed energy resources, zero-emission transportation, all while promoting equity in the communities that it serves. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that support supplier diversity in OCPA’s contracting activities and through women-owned, minority-owned, disabled-veteran-owned, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender owned business enterprises. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives to protect OCPA’s ability to expand its service to new member agencies.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives to protect OCPA Board’s authority over OCPA’s procurement, rate-setting, and customer program development activities.
POWER RESOURCES PLANNING AND PROCUREMENT
The ability for OCPA to fairly and independently plan and procure power resources is vital to the goals of the agency. OCPA acknowledges the many challenges facing California and the transition to renewable energy and seeks to help address Resource Adequacy market issues.
OCPA must ensure stable and fair market access and remove barriers for demand response and microgrid resources.
OCPA will:
- Support legislation and regulation to address shortfalls in the Resource Adequacy market including transmission constraints, interconnection or project delays, and minimizing market power.
- Oppose legislation and regulation that would supplant CCAs’ procurement authority for Resource Adequacy or impose compliance penalties not grounded in market realities. - Support reform of the CPUC Resource Adequacy program to allow for stability in the resource adequacy value of existing resources and allow for departing load to access existing resources at fair market value.
- Advocate for and support efforts to remove barriers to demand response microgrids and behind the meter resources to provide Resource Adequacy. - Oppose legislation and regulation that restricts or limits OCPA’s ability to procure its own energy products to meet state policy goals.
- Support legislation that promotes a level playing field between CCAs and other market participants.
- Support legislation that enhances the flexibility of CCA programs to support statewide procurement policy and develop and expand programs, local options, and rate design to support OCPA’s community and customers.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will enable OCPA to secure capacity resources to meet its reliability obligations, such as initiatives that evaluate the supply of capacity resources available to load serving entities (LSEs), determine the appropriate market mechanisms for LSEs to procure capacity resources, and develop a durable policy framework that encourages all LSEs to construct their fair share of new capacity resources to maintain grid reliability while pursuing decarbonization efforts. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will maximize OCPA’s ability to procure carbon-free resources to meet or exceed the needs of OCPA’s three product offerings and its long-term carbon-free procurement goal as required by SB 100 and other statutory or regulatory obligations.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will maximize OCPA’s ability to procure eligible Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) resources to meet the needs of OCPA’s three product offerings and its long-term RPS procurement goal as required by SB 100 and other statutory or regulatory obligations.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will maximize OCPA’s ability to plan and procure resources to meet various environmental and reliability goals set by state laws and by its Board of Directors, while offering affordable products and programs to serve its customers, including disadvantaged communities. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will provide OCPA adequate access to transmission capacity to maximize its procurement of RPS-eligible or carbon-free resources that meet various statutory and regulatory requirements. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that support the research and development of new energy resources that can be procured to meet the reliability and decarbonization goals set by the State and its Board of Directors. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that correctly account for emission attributes for out of state solar and wind projects.
Any questions regarding this Platform can be directed to:
Steven Halligan, Regulatory and Legislative Manager, at [email protected].
DRAFT 2025 Orange County Power Authority Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform
Overview and Purpose
The Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform (Platform) serves as a guide to the OCPA Board of Directors and staff in their advocacy efforts and engagement on policy matters of interest to OCPA. The Platform allows both members of the OCPA Board of Directors and OCPA staff to pursue actions at the regional, state, and federal legislative and regulatory levels in a consistent manner and with the understanding that they are pursuing actions in the best interest of the organization and its mission, its customers, and its member agencies.
The Platform enables the organization to move swiftly to respond to issues brought before Legislature and Executive Branch agencies including the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the California Energy Commission (CEC), California Independent System Operator (CAISO), and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) so that OCPA’s views can be heard on important matters in a timely fashion.
The Platform provides direction to OCPA staff on positions that should be taken on regulatory matters and legislative bill proposals. The Platform also provides guidance to the Chief Executive Officer on positions that should be taken on legislative and regulatory matters that come before the California Community Choice Association (CalCCA) Board of Directors.
Policy Platform
Affordability and Rates
OCPA supports rates that are competitively priced, enable high-value services to OCPA customers, and support cost-of-service that includes funds needed to cover operations, meet reserve targets, and fund decarbonization programs.
OCPA will:
- Support policies that promote affordable rates for all Californians while ensuring ratepayer equity and maintaining ratemaking autonomy for Community Choice Aggregators (CCA).
- Support policies that minimize the cost of service and eliminate unnecessary costs so OCPA can provide more affordable electricity to customers. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will ensure that non-bypassable charges assessed for OCPA customers are fair, and that OCPA’s customers are not unnecessarily burdened by non-bypassable charges.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives to ensure that OCPA is eligible to apply and receive funding made available to the electricity sector for decarbonization, reliability, and affordability purposes, and that OCPA’s financial health is not disparately impacted by new regulations.
- Advocate for Provider of Last Resort fees that appropriately factor in the risk of LSE failure.
- Support rate structures that encourage electrification. - Advocate for rate reform so programs like wildfire mitigation and public purpose programs are funded outside of rates.
Clean and Reliable Grid
OCPA supports investments and removal of barriers in building transmission and renewable projects to enable the transition to a cleaner grid. OCPA supports a reliable electric system, including the smart buildout of the distribution grid to prepare for increased electrification.
OCPA will:
- Support investments in transmission upgrades and efforts to reduce interconnection barriers and distribution grid failures, including addressing permitting challenges and increased transparency.
- Support efforts to ease supply chain challenges and get renewable projects online faster. - Advocate for investments that increase the reliability of the electric system and recognize the role of fossil plants as the system transitions to renewables. - Ensure that penalties increase the production of renewables instead of simply raising the floor price of energy in the market.
Climate Change Mitigation
OCPA supports funding, projects, and programs to decarbonize the economy, especially in the electric, building, and transportation sectors. OCPA seeks opportunities to amplify our programs through regional, state, and federal levels both through policy and funding. OCPA supports efforts to remove barriers to fuel switching/decarbonization.
OCPA will:
- Understand and advocate for funding opportunities to support clean energy and climate change mitigation, including the Federal Inflation Reduction Act. - Support efforts to transition buildings to electric, including removing the obligation to serve gas requirement and efforts to modernize permitting. - Support funding for EV infrastructure and ensure EV policies are technology neutral. - Advocate for the fair valuation of resources, including capturing the value of demand-side resources better in the CAISO. - Advocate for increased funding for clean energy workforce training and investments to reduce fossil damage in low-income communities.
- Support efforts to decarbonize industrial uses and processes, including reducing the use of baseload fuel cells that use natural gas.
Customer Programs
OCPA supports funding to provide energy support services, education, and opportunities for reducing energy costs to all customers including those who are low-income, seniors, veterans, and/or people with disabilities. OCPA supports policies and efforts to ensure that services and education are offered in languages other than English.
OCPA will:
- Support legislation and initiatives that increase funding for energy efficiency, demand response, solar plus storage, and transportation electrification programs, and energy literacy services.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will enable OCPA to pursue demand response programs and opportunities for its customers.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives to promote electrification of the transportation sector in response to state and federal goals aimed at increasing the usage of zero emission vehicles.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that support the ability of OCPA to promote electrification and the reduction of natural gas usage in the building sector. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that support the ability of OCPA and its member agencies to offer local grid management and resiliency solutions to increase local reliability and adaptability that could protect against power outages and extreme heat.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that support the ability of OCPA to offer and utilize distributed energy resources as part of its reliability, resiliency and community engagement strategies.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that support the ability of OCPA to explore new opportunities related to behind the meter clean energy resources.
Data Access
OCPA recognizes the importance of having accurate and timely data. This data is vital to improve billing accuracy and to inform the development and implementation of customer programs. It is important that OCPA is not charged exorbitant fees to obtain this data.
OCPA will:
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will enable OCPA to obtain timely and accurate access to its customers’ data to improve billing accuracy and inform the development and implementation of customer programs.
- Support policies that enhance timely access by CCAs to quality billing data to enable demand flexibility initiatives and innovative rate design. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives to ensure that the fees due to Southern California Edison for data access and management are fairly assessed based on data needs and potential technological improvements.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
OCPA supports policies that consider equitable treatment of low-income and historically underserved communities through affordable electricity rates, priority access to decarbonization and climate mitigation programs.
OCPA will:
- Support programs that invest in low-income and historically disadvantaged communities (communities of concern) either through separate tracks that dedicate funding to or that give deeper levels of subsidies for these groups.
- Support tenant access to the benefits of decarbonization programs and tenant protections. - Support efforts to repeal Proposition 209, which limits public agencies’ ability to engage in equity efforts.
- Support legislation and regulation that supports the ability of communities of concern in the OCPA service area to have affordable, reliable and clean energy. - Support legislation and regulation that strengthens the resilience of vulnerable communities to the impacts of climate change.
- Support legislation and regulation that enables all communities, including emerging and historically marginalized communities in California, to participate in decarbonization efforts.
- Support legislation, regulation and policies that internalize the externalities of carbon, through true cost pricing and social cost accounting.
- Support legislation and initiatives that would reduce local air pollution, reduce other negative local impacts associated with energy production, and boost adoption of distributed energy resources within communities of concern. - Oppose legislation and initiatives that have the potential to disproportionately and negatively impact communities of concern.
Local Control and Development
OCPA supports the CCA model of local government governance, while acknowledging system-wide needs. Any system needs should give maximum flexibility to allow local authority and discretion to meet goals. OCPA will support any legislation, policies, funding, referenda, and budgets that maintain or improve the stability of CCAs by ensuring regulatory structure is equitable and enables CCAs to meet their mission and goals. Maintaining local decision-making authority, including rate-setting authority and procurement of energy, is a key pillar for this stability.
OCPA will:
- Advocate for fair and equitable exit fees that prevent cost-shifting among customers. - Oppose policy mandates that violate CCA ratemaking autonomy. - Engage in conversations about the role of a “Central Procurement Entity” that preserves CCA’s responsibility to procure energy while finding a system that maximizes cost efficiency and reliability.
- Advocate for flexible Brown Act requirements that allow remote access for both the public and board members.
- Advocate for goal-based procurement instead of prescriptive, technology-specific mandates.
- Advocate for increased visibility into the distribution grid and an open access platform to provide clear information and signals about where Distribute Energy Resource buildout is optimal.
- Oppose any legislation, policies, funding, referenda, and budgets that undermine or circumvent CCAs and impede the ability of OCPA to achieve its mission and goals or its value proposition.
- Support any legislation, policy, funding, referenda, and budgets that enhance OCPA’s ability to invest in local clean energy, including infill solar and battery storage, as well as other distributed energy resources, grid resiliency, zero-emission transportation, all while promoting equity in the communities that it serves.
- Oppose any legislation, policy, funding, referenda, and budgets that limit or undermine OCPA’s ability to invest in local clean energy, distributed energy resources, zero-emission transportation, all while promoting equity in the communities that it serves. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that support supplier diversity in OCPA’s contracting activities and through women-owned, minority-owned, disabled-veteran-owned, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender owned business enterprises. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives to protect OCPA’s ability to expand its service to new member agencies.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives to protect OCPA Board’s authority over OCPA’s procurement, rate-setting, and customer program development activities.
Power Resources Planning and Procurement
The ability for OCPA to fairly and independently plan and procure power resources is vital to the goals of the agency. OCPA acknowledges the many challenges facing California and the transition to renewable energy and seeks to help address Resource Adequacy market issues.
OCPA must ensure stable and fair market access and remove barriers for demand response and microgrid resources.
OCPA will:
- Support legislation and regulation to address shortfalls in the Resource Adequacy market including transmission constraints, interconnection or project delays, and minimizing market power.
- Oppose legislation and regulation that would supplant CCAs’ procurement authority for Resource Adequacy or impose compliance penalties not grounded in market realities. - Support reform of the CPUC Resource Adequacy program to allow for stability in the resource adequacy value of existing resources and allow for departing load to access existing resources at fair market value.
- Advocate for and support efforts to remove barriers to demand response microgrids and behind the meter resources to provide Resource Adequacy. - Oppose legislation and regulation that restricts or limits OCPA’s ability to procure its own energy products to meet state policy goals.
- Support legislation that promotes a level playing field between CCAs and other market participants.
- Support legislation that enhances the flexibility of CCA programs to support statewide procurement policy and develop and expand programs, local options, and rate design to support OCPA’s community and customers.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will enable OCPA to secure capacity resources to meet its reliability obligations, such as initiatives that evaluate the supply of capacity resources available to load serving entities (LSEs), determine the appropriate market mechanisms for LSEs to procure capacity resources, and develop a durable policy framework that encourages all LSEs to construct their fair share of new capacity resources to maintain grid reliability while pursuing decarbonization efforts. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will maximize OCPA’s ability to procure carbon-free resources to meet or exceed the needs of OCPA’s three product offerings and its long-term carbon-free procurement goal as required by SB 100 and other statutory or regulatory obligations.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will maximize OCPA’s ability to procure eligible Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) resources to meet the needs of OCPA’s three product offerings and its long-term RPS procurement goal as required by SB 100 and other statutory or regulatory obligations.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will maximize OCPA’s ability to plan and procure resources to meet various environmental and reliability goals set by state laws and by its Board of Directors, while offering affordable products and programs to serve its customers, including disadvantaged communities. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will provide OCPA adequate access to transmission capacity to maximize its procurement of RPS-eligible or carbon-free resources that meet various statutory and regulatory requirements. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that support the research and development of new energy resources that can be procured to meet the reliability and decarbonization goals set by the State and its Board of Directors.
Regionalization
A unified, west-wide market can deliver substantial customer benefits including improving grid reliability, maintaining affordability, and help connect clean energy throughout the West. - Support legislation and regulations to allow for the creation of a regional organization in the West.
- Support the creation of a regional organization that does not interfere with any other OCPA policy goals.
- Ensure that any regional organization that is created supports and strives for the same goals as OCPA.
Any questions regarding this Platform can be directed to Steven Halligan, Regulatory and Legislative Manager, at [email protected].
DRAFT 2024 2025 Orange County Power Authority Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform
Overview and Purpose
The Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) Legislative and Regulatory Policy Platform (Platform) serves as a guide to the OCPA Board of Directors and staff in their advocacy efforts and engagement on policy matters of interest to OCPA. The Platform allows both members of the OCPA Board of Directors and OCPA staff to pursue actions at the regional, state, and federal legislative and regulatory levels in a consistent manner and with the understanding that they are pursuing actions in the best interest of the organization and its mission, its customers, and its member agencies.
The Platform enables the organization to move swiftly to respond to issues brought before Legislature and Executive Branch agencies including the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the California Energy Commission (CEC), California Independent System Operator (CAISO), and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) so that OCPA’s views can be heard on important matters in a timely fashion.
The Platform provides direction to OCPA staff on positions that should be taken on regulatory matters and legislative bill proposals. The Platform also provides guidance to the Chief Executive Officer on positions that should be taken on legislative and regulatory matters that come before the California Community Choice Association (CalCCA) Board of Directors.
Policy Platform
Affordability and Rates
OCPA supports rates that are competitively priced, enable high-value services to OCPA customers, and support cost-of-service that includes funds needed to cover operations, meet reserve targets, and fund decarbonization programs.
OCPA will:
- Support policies that promote affordable rates for all Californians while ensuring ratepayer equity and maintaining ratemaking autonomy for Community Choice Aggregators (CCA).
- Support policies that minimize the cost of service and eliminate unnecessary costs so OCPA can provide more affordable electricity to customers. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will ensure that non-bypassable charges assessed for OCPA customers are fair, and that OCPA’s customers are not unnecessarily burdened by non-bypassable charges.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives to ensure that OCPA is eligible to apply and receive funding made available to the electricity sector for decarbonization, reliability, and affordability purposes, and that OCPA’s financial health is not disparately impacted by new regulations.
- Advocate for Provider of Last Resort fees that appropriately factor in the risk of LSE failure.
- Support rate structures that encourage electrification. - Advocate for rate reform so programs like wildfire mitigation and public purpose programs are funded outside of rates.
Clean and Reliable Grid
OCPA supports investments and removal of barriers in building transmission and renewable projects to enable the transition to a cleaner grid. OCPA supports a reliable electric system, including the smart buildout of the distribution grid to prepare for increased electrification.
OCPA will:
- Support investments in transmission upgrades and efforts to reduce interconnection barriers and distribution grid failures, including addressing permitting challenges and increased transparency.
- Support efforts to ease supply chain challenges and get renewable projects online faster. - Advocate for investments that increase the reliability of the electric system and recognize the role of fossil plants as the system transitions to renewables. - Ensure that penalties increase the production of renewables instead of simply raising the floor price of energy in the market.
Climate Change Mitigation
OCPA supports funding, projects, and programs to decarbonize the economy, especially in the electric, building, and transportation sectors. OCPA seeks opportunities to amplify our programs through regional, state, and federal levels both through policy and funding. OCPA supports efforts to remove barriers to fuel switching/decarbonization.
OCPA will:
- Understand and advocate for funding opportunities to support clean energy and climate change mitigation, including the Federal Inflation Reduction Act. - Support efforts to transition buildings to electric, including removing the obligation to serve gas requirement and efforts to modernize permitting. - Support funding for EV infrastructure and ensure EV policies are technology neutral. - Advocate for the fair valuation of resources, including capturing the value of demand-side resources better in the CAISO. - Advocate for increased funding for clean energy workforce training and investments to reduce fossil damage in low-income communities.
- Support efforts to decarbonize industrial uses and processes, including reducing the use of baseload fuel cells that use natural gas.
Customer Programs
OCPA supports funding to provide energy support services, education, and opportunities for reducing energy costs to all customers including those who are low-income, seniors, veterans, and/or people with disabilities. OCPA supports policies and efforts to ensure that services and education are offered in languages other than English.
OCPA will:
- Support legislation and initiatives that increase funding for energy efficiency, demand response, solar plus storage, and transportation electrification programs, and energy literacy services.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will enable OCPA to pursue demand response programs and opportunities for its customers.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives to promote electrification of the transportation sector in response to state and federal goals aimed at increasing the usage of zero emission vehicles.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that support the ability of OCPA to promote electrification and the reduction of natural gas usage in the building sector. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that support the ability of OCPA and its member agencies to offer local grid management and resiliency solutions to increase local reliability and adaptability that could protect against power outages and extreme heat.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that support the ability of OCPA to offer and utilize distributed energy resources as part of its reliability, resiliency and community engagement strategies.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that support the ability of OCPA to explore new opportunities related to behind the meter clean energy resources.
Data Access
OCPA recognizes the importance of having accurate and timely data. This data is vital to improve billing accuracy and to inform the development and implementation of customer programs. It is important that OCPA is not charged exorbitant fees to obtain this data.
OCPA will:
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will enable OCPA to obtain timely and accurate access to its customers’ data to improve billing accuracy and inform the development and implementation of customer programs.
- Support policies that enhance timely access by CCAs to quality billing data to enable demand flexibility initiatives and innovative rate design. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives to ensure that the fees due to Southern California Edison for data access and management are fairly assessed based on data needs and potential technological improvements.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
OCPA supports policies that consider equitable treatment of low-income and historically underserved communities through affordable electricity rates, priority access to decarbonization and climate mitigation programs.
OCPA will:
- Support programs that invest in low-income and historically disadvantaged communities (communities of concern) either through separate tracks that dedicate funding to or that give deeper levels of subsidies for these groups.
- Support tenant access to the benefits of decarbonization programs and tenant protections. - Support efforts to repeal Proposition 209, which limits public agencies’ ability to engage in equity efforts.
- Support legislation and regulation that supports the ability of communities of concern in the OCPA service area to have affordable, reliable and clean energy. - Support legislation and regulation that strengthens the resilience of vulnerable communities to the impacts of climate change.
- Support legislation and regulation that enables all communities, including emerging and historically marginalized communities in California, to participate in decarbonization efforts.
- Support legislation, regulation and policies that internalize the externalities of carbon, through true cost pricing and social cost accounting.
- Support legislation and initiatives that would reduce local air pollution, reduce other negative local impacts associated with energy production, and boost adoption of distributed energy resources within communities of concern. - Oppose legislation and initiatives that have the potential to disproportionately and negatively impact communities of concern.
Local Control and Development
OCPA supports the CCA model of local government governance, while acknowledging system-wide needs. Any system needs should give maximum flexibility to allow local authority and discretion to meet goals. OCPA will support any legislation, policies, funding, referenda, and budgets that maintain or improve the stability of CCAs by ensuring regulatory structure is equitable and enables CCAs to meet their mission and goals. Maintaining local decision-making authority, including rate-setting authority and procurement of energy, is a key pillar for this stability.
OCPA will:
- Advocate for fair and equitable exit fees that prevent cost-shifting among customers. - Oppose policy mandates that violate CCA ratemaking autonomy. - Engage in conversations about the role of a “Central Procurement Entity” that preserves CCA’s responsibility to procure energy while finding a system that maximizes cost efficiency and reliability.
- Advocate for flexible Brown Act requirements that allow remote access for both the public and board members.
- Advocate for goal-based procurement instead of prescriptive, technology-specific mandates.
- Advocate for increased visibility into the distribution grid and an open access platform to provide clear information and signals about where Distribute Energy Resource buildout is optimal.
- Oppose any legislation, policies, funding, referenda, and budgets that undermine or circumvent CCAs and impede the ability of OCPA to achieve its mission and goals or its value proposition.
- Support any legislation, policy, funding, referenda, and budgets that enhance OCPA’s ability to invest in local clean energy, including infill solar and battery storage, as well as other distributed energy resources, grid resiliency, zero-emission transportation, all while promoting equity in the communities that it serves.
- Oppose any legislation, policy, funding, referenda, and budgets that limit or undermine OCPA’s ability to invest in local clean energy, distributed energy resources, zero-emission transportation, all while promoting equity in the communities that it serves. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that support supplier diversity in OCPA’s contracting activities and through women-owned, minority-owned, disabled-veteran-owned, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender owned business enterprises. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives to protect OCPA’s ability to expand its service to new member agencies.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives to protect OCPA Board’s authority over OCPA’s procurement, rate-setting, and customer program development activities.
Power Resources Planning and Procurement
The ability for OCPA to fairly and independently plan and procure power resources is vital to the goals of the agency. OCPA acknowledges the many challenges facing California and the transition to renewable energy and seeks to help address Resource Adequacy market issues.
OCPA must ensure stable and fair market access and remove barriers for demand response and microgrid resources.
OCPA will:
- Support legislation and regulation to address shortfalls in the Resource Adequacy market including transmission constraints, interconnection or project delays, and minimizing market power.
- Oppose legislation and regulation that would supplant CCAs’ procurement authority for Resource Adequacy or impose compliance penalties not grounded in market realities. - Support reform of the CPUC Resource Adequacy program to allow for stability in the resource adequacy value of existing resources and allow for departing load to access existing resources at fair market value.
- Advocate for and support efforts to remove barriers to demand response microgrids and behind the meter resources to provide Resource Adequacy. - Oppose legislation and regulation that restricts or limits OCPA’s ability to procure its own energy products to meet state policy goals.
- Support legislation that promotes a level playing field between CCAs and other market participants.
- Support legislation that enhances the flexibility of CCA programs to support statewide procurement policy and develop and expand programs, local options, and rate design to support OCPA’s community and customers.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will enable OCPA to secure capacity resources to meet its reliability obligations, such as initiatives that evaluate the supply of capacity resources available to load serving entities (LSEs), determine the appropriate market mechanisms for LSEs to procure capacity resources, and develop a durable policy framework that encourages all LSEs to construct their fair share of new capacity resources to maintain grid reliability while pursuing decarbonization efforts. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will maximize OCPA’s ability to procure carbon-free resources to meet or exceed the needs of OCPA’s three product offerings and its long-term carbon-free procurement goal as required by SB 100 and other statutory or regulatory obligations.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will maximize OCPA’s ability to procure eligible Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) resources to meet the needs of OCPA’s three product offerings and its long-term RPS procurement goal as required by SB 100 and other statutory or regulatory obligations.
- Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will maximize OCPA’s ability to plan and procure resources to meet various environmental and reliability goals set by state laws and by its Board of Directors, while offering affordable products and programs to serve its customers, including disadvantaged communities. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that will provide OCPA adequate access to transmission capacity to maximize its procurement of RPS-eligible or carbon-free resources that meet various statutory and regulatory requirements. - Pursue administrative and legislative initiatives that support the research and development of new energy resources that can be procured to meet the reliability and decarbonization goals set by the State and its Board of Directors.
Regionalization
A unified, west-wide market can deliver substantial customer benefits including improving grid reliability, maintaining affordability, and help connect clean energy throughout the West. - Support legislation and regulations to allow for the creation of a regional organization in the West.
- Support the creation of a regional organization that does not interfere with any other OCPA policy goals.
- Ensure that any regional organization that is created supports and strives for the same goals as OCPA.
Any questions regarding this Platform can be directed to Steven Halligan, Regulatory and Legislative Manager, at [email protected].