Orange County Power Authority Fires CEO Brian Probolsky

The sun shines over towers carrying electrical lines in a file photo. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Behind closed doors, the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) voted to relieve chief executive officer Brian Probolsky of his position on April 19 after the embattled green energy agency has faced pressure from city and county leaders to find new leadership.

During the Wednesday meeting in Irvine, California, board members voted 3-1 with Jose Castaneda, Tammy Kim and Kathleen Treseder voting for Probolsky’s termination, while Fred Jung abstained and Casey McKeon was absent. Don Wagner was the only member to vote against the decision, according to a report given after the closed session discussion.

“In just a few short years, the Orange County Power Authority has gone from one city’s vision to a fully operational community choice energy provider serving approximately 240,000 residential and commercial customers in four Orange County communities,” said Jung, OCPA Board chair and mayor of Fullerton, in a statement Wednesday.

The CEO’s last day will be at the end of May and an interim CEO will be announced sometime soon, according to the statement.

The Board of Directors’ decision isn’t reflective of the agency’s finances, Jung said, as OCPA is operationally sound and financially strong with tens of millions of dollars in reserve.

“The Board appreciates Brian Probolsky’s dedication and service building an organization that is having a positive environmental impact on the region,” he said.

Brian Probolsky (R), CEO of Orange County Power Authority, shakes hands with Poseidon Water Vice President Scott Maloni in an agreement to work together toward desalination efforts in Irvine, Calif., on Feb. 22, 2022. (Courtesy of Orange County Power Authority)

Similar sentiments were echoed in the close of Wednesday’s meeting, during open session.

“Despite the challenges and the uphill battles that we’ve all shared together, you’ve provided so much leadership in bringing a team that is going to carry out this vision of transforming Orange County and our energy future for good,” Castaneda, a councilman for Buena Park, said.

Vice chair of the board Treseder, a councilwoman for Irvine, said the board had some “very challenging decisions to make,” but she is optimistic about the future of OCPA.

“I have full confidence in it going forward,” she said.

Since its inception in November 2020, OCPA has been challenged by criticism over a lack of transparency and inexperienced management. Several audits of the agency have been issued, including by an Orange County Grand Jury last June, the Orange County Auditor—at the request of County Supervisors—in December, and the California State Auditor in February.

Audit findings verified concerns over a need for more experienced staff and better record-keeping protocols, with the county’s report suggesting the CEO wasn’t qualified for his role.

The State Auditor said Probolsky improperly executed power purchase agreements worth $1.8 million for contracts to marketing and financial services, while skirting required board procedures in the process.

“[T]he pattern of contracting practices we identified at OCPA that were neither competitive nor accountable to the board’s oversight poses a risk to the organization,” the Feb. 28 audit reads.

Probolsky chose to remember his accomplishments in a statement of his own Wednesday.

“In the past 24 months, I helped Orange County Power Authority grow from an idea into one of California’s largest and greenest retail energy providers. This includes creating the brand, raising $42 million in credit facilities, and building a renewable energy portfolio worth more than $1 billion,” he wrote.

The energy provider—which serves Huntington Beach, Buena Park, Irvine, and Fullerton—was formed in 2020 as an energy provider emphasizing “green power,” as an alternative to Southern California Edison, the primary energy provider in the region.

Power lines in Fullerton, Calif., on Dec. 22, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

In mid-January, OCPA lowered its rates, and its Basic Choice plan, which provides 38 percent renewable energy, became cheaper than its competitor by 2 percent, according to the agency.

“As CEO, I hired a team of professionals as we launched this highly-regulated $300 million revenue energy provider with more than 250,000 customers to fulfill the promise of bringing renewable energy to Orange County at cheaper rates than Southern California Edison,” Probolsky concluded in his statement.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors in December voted to withdraw the county’s unincorporated areas from OCPA and has been seeking a new agency to replace it.

Supervisor Katrina Foley said in a statement she still hopes for more change from the power authority in the coming months.

“I wish I could say I am pleased to see the Orange County Power Authority Board is finally beginning the necessary process to address the longstanding concerns of this agency, but there is much structural reform needed as outlined in our Internal Audit report,” she wrote.

Referencing recommendations the county requested in their audit, Foley said she will continue to monitor the authority and “see which reforms they decide to enact,” she said.

“I remain committed to the cause of providing cleaner power options at competitive rate that will benefit our ratepayers and help our environment,” Foley wrote.

Board member Kim, also vice mayor for Irvine, applauded Probolsky for leading the authority through tough times.

“I don’t know many people who would have the strength and fortitude to do what you’ve done, despite all the criticism and all the scrutiny,” she said. “So I just applaud all of your work and all of your efforts. Kudos to you.”