Views from a UCI Student: Clean Energy Brings Hope For a Sustainable Future

By Kyler Chin, Computer Sciences, Class of 2026 at University of California, Irvine

I remember when a wildfire choked out the skies when I was just 17 years old. In the calm October morning, soot rained onto the windows in my house, the skies turned a blood red, and the air became impossible to breathe – 13,390 acres of land burned, forcing 90,000 people in Irvine to evacuate. My friends and family members fled from their homes, taking only the essentials to shelter at city facilities. The smoky air persisted for days.

The traumatic incident only strengthened my involvement in advocating for clean energy and climate legislation. In middle school, I first learned about climate change in earth science class. I didn’t know how to contribute until my second year of high school in 2018 when a local climate policy advocate, Ayn Craciun, came to speak at my school’s Eco club meeting. She gave a presentation on what Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) agencies were and how Irvine was studying setting one up.

I spent the next few years advocating for 100% renewable energy. I remember sitting in the council chambers when Irvine approved moving forward to form a CCA in 2019, now known as the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA). But my efforts didn’t stop there. I joined Sunrise Movement, a youth climate nonprofit, to advocate for strong climate legislation. In early 2022, OCPA member cities were to decide their default renewable energy plans that customers would transition to. We heard rumors that the highest some Irvine officials were considering was 69% renewable energy. The thought of this terrified us, so we organized several protests over the course of four months. We protested outside Irvine City Hall, occupied the council chambers, held signs, gave almost an hour of public testimony, and stayed until midnight. Weeks later, we escalated our efforts by protesting directly in front of the offices of the mayor and councilmembers. Several nights later we heard that two cities had selected 100% renewable energy plans – Buena Park and Irvine. We had won.

For me, Orange County Power Authority isn’t just a clean power purchasing agency. To many Orange County youth, it symbolizes our hopes and dreams for a sustainable future. One with clean air, a livable climate, and good jobs. Unlike for-profit electricity companies that are dependent on fossil fuels, OCPA invests revenue back into the community, which can help create jobs here in Southern California. The climate crisis can only be tackled at scale and public renewable energy providers like OCPA are a foundational element to solving the climate crisis and ensuring a more livable future for all of us.

About Orange County Power Authority

The Orange County Power Authority is a not-for-profit public agency that offers clean power at competitive rates, significantly reducing energy-related greenhouse emissions and enabling reinvestment in local energy programs. To learn more, visit www.ocpower.org.