Orange County Power Authority (OCPA)
Renter Energy Efficiency Program Handbook
Introduction
This handbook provides a step-by-step guide to help renters apply for and understand the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) Renter Energy Efficiency Program.
Background
The OCPA Renter Energy Efficiency Program is designed to empower renter inclusion in energy efficiency, energy demand management, and electrification without needing landlord input.
Offering a plug-in portable Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system paired with a portable battery enables renters to utilize smart scheduling and reduce their peak energy usage. Through this program, selected and eligible renters will receive both appliances free of cost.
Left Image: Portable Midea Duo HVAC system
Right Image: Portable EcoFlow battery system
The portable HVAC provides year-round climate control by offering heating, cooling, ventilation, and dehumidification in one device. Unlike traditional portable air conditioning units, the unit provided through the Renter Energy Efficiency Program is a heat pump that moves heat out of a room for cooling and pulls heat in for warming.
Renter Energy Efficiency Program Handbook
High-Level Process
Renters must complete a singular eligibility application to enter the applicant lottery for the chance to be selected. Once eligible applicants are selected, they will receive the portable HVAC system and battery at the address provided in their application.
What Makes a Good Candidate
You’re a good candidate for this program if you:
• Are an active OCPA residential customer.
• Have access to a window for venting the portable HVAC unit. • Have an outlet on a lightly loaded circuit (i.e., not shared with other high-power appliances) for the portable HVAC unit to reduce the risk of tripped breakers. • Plan to operate the portable HVAC unit in a single room to reduce or eliminate use of your central A/C for some period of time
Eligibility Requirements
The applicant must meet the following requirements:
● Must be an OCPA residential customer.
● Must attest to renting their primary residence.
● Must acknowledge and agree to the program Terms and Conditions.
Applicants enrolled in Medical Baseline Allowance, California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE), and Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) will receive priority consideration.
However, all applicants will remain eligible for selection regardless of enrollment in the programs listed.
Eligibility Application Window
Eligibility applications will open on March 12, 2026 and close on April 5, 2026. Applicants who meet the eligibility criteria will be entered into a lottery and selected at random after applications close.
Application Process
Eligibility Application
1. Provide applicant identification information:
a. First and last name
b. Contact information
2. The applicant must verify their eligibility
a. Attest to being a renter at primary residence
b. Enter the service address and service account. Information can be collected from a recent utility bill. An example of an SCE bill is depicted below.
Renter Energy Efficiency Program Handbook
i. Service Address (#1 identifies where your service address can be found) ii. Service Account Number (#2 identifies where the Service Account information can be found)
3. Optional: Opt into participating in pre- and post-appliance delivery surveys, if selected
4. Share where the applicant heard about the program
5. Optional: Opt into receiving emails on OCPA’s other programs
6. Agree to the Terms and Conditions
Optional Surveys
Renters have the option to participate in two surveys: pre-delivery and post-delivery. Each survey will cover questions related to equipment and usage. Survey responses will contribute to analyzing the impacts of the OCPA Renter Energy Efficiency Program. All selected applicants who opt in will receive a $25 virtual gift card on the completion of each survey as a “thank you” for participating.
Appliance Delivery
Equipment delivery will occur at the address provided in the eligibility application. After the application and selection process is complete, delivery timelines will be communicated directly to selected participants. Delivery services are limited to standard ground delivery practices. No in-home placement or setup assistance will be provided.
Program Timeline
Eligibility application window March 12 - April 5, 2026 Applicant selection and notification April 16, 2026
Pre-delivery survey window (optional) April 16 - April 30, 2026 Appliance delivery window *Shared with selected participants Renter Energy Efficiency Program Handbook
Post-delivery survey window (optional) August 10 - August 24, 2026 Terms & Conditions Acknowledgement
As part of the application, participants will be required to review and acknowledge the Terms and Conditions of the OCPA Renter Energy Efficiency Program. This acknowledgment is included directly in the online application and must be completed to submit the application and qualify to receive the appliances.
The Terms and Conditions outline key program requirements, including applicant eligibility and appliance delivery details. By providing this acknowledgment, participants confirm that all submitted information is accurate to the best of their knowledge and that they agree to comply with the program’s rules and requirements.
ORANGE COUNTY POWER AUTHORITY
Staff Report – Item 9
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: Orange County Power Authority Board of Directors
From: Joe Mosca, Chief Executive Officer
Subject: CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S REPORT
Date: March 9, 2026
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue Deferral Transfer
As planned in the FY2025/26 Budget, OCPA will utilize the $45 million in previously deferred revenue from FY2023/24 - $15 million in FY2024/25 and $30 million in FY2025/26 - to help offset the anticipated revenue shortfall. This shortfall is primarily driven by the continuation of the 2024 rate design in 2025 and the City of Irvine’s shift from 100% Renewable Choice to Basic Choice. This strategic use of deferred revenue aligns with the Board-approved Rate Stabilization Policy and serves as a key financial tool to support long-term rate stability and affordability. By proactively reallocating these funds, OCPA strengthens its ability to manage financial risks, stabilize rates, and protect customers from market volatility. 2026 Strategic Planning Workshop
This year's Strategic Planning Workshop is set for March 18th from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Please double-check that this important date is in your calendar. We will dedicate a couple of our upcoming weekly briefings to discussing your priorities for the year ahead, which will guide and inform the discussion on March 18th.
Communications & External Affairs Updates
Communications
• Thank you to the Board for your adoption of the Community Power Plan, which is a program framework that will guide the development of programs over the next 5 years and beyond. The full plan is now published on the OCPA website, where you can also view a reactive dashboard of data.
• OCPA's second Picturing a Better Tomorrow student art contest closed this past week.
Students in grades TK-6 from OCPA member cities were eligible to enter their original art for the chance to win a prize of four tickets to Knott’s Berry Farm. • OCPA staff continues its transparent communication and misinformation correction about locking generation rates for 2026.
• OCPA’s February Newsletter was sent out to over 6,100 recipients. The lead story in the newsletter was OCPA locking in its 2026 rates.
• The 2026 Rate Lock blog was also promoted on OCPA’s social media channels, and it is linked on our website’s homepage carousel.
Community Engagement & External Affairs
• We hosted our annual Multicultural Community Leaders Luncheon, with 28 community leaders from communities and organizations across Orange County. This event has fostered numerous partnerships for OCPA, including contracts for translation services and community outreach support, and has increased the diversity in applications for OCPA’s grant programs. This year, OCPA shared information on its latest programs and organizational successes while sharing insight into the 2026 rate lock. • OCPA hosted the Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce monthly mixer, where we met with local business owners and nonprofit representatives. Approximately 80 people attended, and OCPA was able to share a brief overview of what we do and the benefits we offer our communities.
• Staff attended the Fountain Valley Community Strategic Planning Session that was attended by a cross-section of local stakeholders and community leaders. We had the opportunity to engage with updates about OCPA.
• Staff also attended the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast in Garden Grove, which resumed this year after a 14-year hiatus. We engaged with the stakeholders in attendance, including City staff.
• OCPA was present at the OCBC Annual Board Installation, where we connected with elected officials and business stakeholders from across the county. • Staff attended the UCI Sustainival fair at the UC Irvine campus. We connected with multiple student sustainability groups, including the students managing the Sustainable Resource Center, Engineers Without Borders (which works with local and international climate-vulnerable communities), and Garett Hurley, Director of the Sustainable Resource Center at UC Irvine.
• Staff and Community Advisory Committee members attended the Sustain SoCal Regional Readiness & Resiliency Event. Discussion topics included The Road to Climate Action and Adaptation Plans, which provided guidance on navigating the lack of federal support and the changes to the City Council with each election cycle. Recommendations included sharing cost-benefit analysis and avoided costs, promoting additional benefits and getting community support, and highlighting environmental justice (Orange County population stats: 33% currently on Medical, 58% of those on Medical are in a red zone with multiple environmental justice impacts, unemployment is 3% higher than the national average).
• OCPA staff and Community Advisory Committee members attended the Fountain Valley Mayor’s Breakfast this week, where we connected with city leadership and community leaders.
• We also attended the Asian Business Association’s Lunar New Year Luncheon, where OCPA was acknowledged for its support of the organization and the community • This past week, OCPA was proud to sponsor and table at the Irvine Lunar New Year event, where attendance was around 6,000. We engaged in numerous customer conversations, including numerous asks about OCPA’s current programs. One customer requested information on how to return to OCPA and was interested in our programs for renters.
• Staff is supporting students participating in the Sustain OC Foundation’s Sustainable Campus Challenge, which OCPA is sponsoring. We’re providing information on CCA and the benefits of community energy as they analyze their campus’s energy consumption.
• Staff attended the Buena Park Collaborative and Irvine Sustainability Commission meetings.
• OCPA attended and sponsored the Santa Ana Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast, where we connected with nonprofit and local leaders from across the city. • Staff also attended the OC Soccer Annual Fundraising Gala hosted in Costa Mesa, where we connected with leaders and organizations from Irvine and Costa Mesa. We also reconnected with leadership from OC Soccer, which is an OCPA Green P100NEER. • Staff tuned into the Costa Mesa City Council meeting this week to hear the preliminary results and recommendations from the City’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. The recording of the CAAP discussion is at hour three on the Costa Mesa YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@CostaMesaTV.
• OCPA attended and tabled at the Lunar New Year celebration at the Great Park, sharing information about OCPA and connecting with the community.
Customer Programs
• Community Power Plan: The full plan is now published on the OCPA website, where you can click a link to view a reactive dashboard of data.
• *NEW* Renter Energy Efficiency Program: This new program will be presented to the Board in March for review and adoption. It will use funds in the Board-approved FY25/26 Programs budget, which were allocated to a high-priority program out of the Community Power Plan (CPP). This program was identified as first to launch because direct-to-renter electrification and demand response were the top priority identified in the CPP, benefiting from easier implementation. The program provides a set of no-cost equipment to renters who do not need landlord approval to implement: a plug-in HVAC paired with a portable battery. The aim is not only to help customers electrify, but also for these appliances to save customers money by curbing the use of central heating and air. • *NEW* Energy Efficiency Showcase: The team is working on a partnership with the U.S.
Green Building Council (USGBC) to bring their BuildSMART Trailer to member cities.
This mobile exhibit features energy-efficient and sustainable home technologies and is a cost-effective means of promoting efficiency education to a wide array of customers attending a community event. USGBC staff provides hands-on guidance, and OCPA staff will share information on energy programs.
• *NEW* Educational Webinar: The team is developing a residential affordability webinar to help customers better understand electricity rate structures and identify practical strategies to manage their energy costs. The webinar will support education and the lack of program awareness identified in the Community Power Plan. We hope to have this take place in April.
• Equitable Building Decarbonization Direct Install Grant: The program has soft-launched, with the interest and enrollment form going live. We are finalizing a contract with Orange County United Way to support community outreach based on a formal RFQ process, and will be sending a mailer to generate initial interest in the program. • Energy Efficiency Kits: The program is officially at capacity, having given out 1,500 free kits to OCPA customers. We are completing program results now and will provide them to the Board next week.
• Residential Battery Rebate Program: To-date, 50 applications have been approved, 25 claims have been requested, 16 claims have been approved, and 12 rebates have been sent.
Program applications will be accepted until May 2026.
Human Resources Updates
Recruitment
External Affairs Manager: The position remains open, with final interviews scheduled in March.
Board Clerk & Executive Assistant to the CEO: The selected candidate has successfully cleared the background check and is scheduled to begin on March 16, 2026.
Events & Stakeholder Outreach
The OCPA team attended the following events and community meetings since our last Board meeting:
Date Day of the
Week Organization Event Title Member Agency Start Time End Time 2/9/2026 Monday City of Fullerton Fullerton Women's
Club Meeting Fullerton 6:00 PM 8:00 PM
2/9/2026 Monday University of
California - Irvine
UCI Lunar New Year
Events Irvine 3:30 PM 6:00 PM
2/11/2026 Wednesday City of Irvine Sustainability
Commission Irvine 4:00 PM 5:30 PM
2/12/2026 Thursday Buena Park
Collaborative Monthly Meeting Buena Park 10:00 AM 12:00 PM 2/12/2026 Thursday OC Grantmakers
OC
Grantmakers/OneOC
Networking Event
Orange
County (All) 4:30 AM 6:30 AM
2/13/2026 Friday Asian Heritage
Association
Lunar New Year
Flower Street Festival
Orange
County
(Fountain
Valley)
3:00 PM 10:00 AM
2/18/2026 Wednesday City of Fountain
Valley Mayor's Breakfast Fountain
Valley 8:00 AM 9:00 AM
2/19/2026 Thursday
Asian Business
Association - Orange
County
ABAOC Lunar New
Year Luncheon
Orange
County
(Irvine)
11:30 AM 1:00 PM
2/19/2026 Thursday Sustain SoCal Regional Readiness &
Resilience Irvine 1:00 PM 7:00 PM
2/26/2026 Thursday Orange County
Business Council
2026 Annual Dinner &
Installation of the
Board of Directors
Orange
County (All) 5:00 PM 8:00 PM
2/26/2026 Thursday OC Hispanic Chamber
of Commerce
Business Mixer:
Orange County Power
Authority
Irvine 5:00 PM 7:00 PM
3/5/2026 Thursday Office of Cottie Petrie-Norris
Women of the Year
Event
Orange
County
(Irvine)
5:00 PM 6:30 PM
3/5/2026 Thursday City of Fountain
Valley
2026 Fountain Valley
State of the City
Fountain
Valley n/a n/a
We are looking forward to many opportunities to engage with the community and key stakeholders, including:
Date Day of the
Week Organization Event Title Member Agency
Start
Time End Time
3/9/2026 Monday Fullerton
Collaborative
OCPA Presents New
Programs for
Renters
Fullerton n/a n/a
3/9/2026 Monday City of Irvine 2026 Irvine State of
the City Irvine n/a n/a
3/12/2026 Thursday Buena Park
Collaborative Monthly Meeting Buena Park 10:00 AM 12:00 PM 3/12/2026 Thursday CSUF Fullerton Sustainabie Campus
Tour Fullerton 10:00 AM 11:00 AM
3/12/2026 Thursday Buena Park
Middle School Career Night Buena Park 5:00 AM 7:00 AM
3/13/2026 Friday Coastline RFP
Coastline RFP
Advisory Committee
Meeting
Orange County
(Irvine) 4:00 PM 6:00 PM
3/20/2026 Friday Quantum
eMotion
Women In Tech
Symposium Irvine 11:00 AM 4:00 PM
3/25/2026 Wednesday City of Fullerton Fullerton Youth
Government Day Fullerton 9:00 AM 1:00 PM
4/2/2026 Thursday
South Orange
County
Economic
Coalition
Meet the Mayors Orange County
(All) 8:30 AM 10:00 AM
4/2/2026 Thursday City of Irvine OCPA Presents at
Electrification 101 Irvine 6:00 PM 8:00 PM
4/4/2026 Saturday City of Buena
Park
Earth Month
Sustainability Fair Buena Park 8:00 AM 12:00 PM
4/9/2026 Thursday Buena Park
Collaborative Monthly Meeting Buena Park 10:00 AM 12:00 PM 4/11/2026 Saturday
OC Hispanic
Chamber of
Commerce
The Estrella Awards Orange County
(All) n/a n/a
Attachments:
Attachment A – Non-Power Supply Contracts In Excess of $50,000 to Under $100,000 Orange County Power Authority
Non Power Supply Contracts In Excess of $50,000 to Under $100,000 Item No Vendor Term Contract Amount Brief Service Description Remark 1 Ebee Connect 3/1/2026 – 2/29/2028 $90,000 Multilingual Translation Services