Orange County Power Authority Strengthens Team With Three Hires Bringing a Collective Five Decades of Energy Experience

New team members will add additional community programs, financial, and operational expertise supporting OCPA’s mission

IRVINE, Calif. (November 21, 2024) – The Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) has announced the hiring of three new team members who bring a collective 50 years of clean and traditional energy industry experience to the organization. The new positions include Energy Programs Manager, Finance and Risk Manager, and Procurement and Administrative Analyst. In its second full year of operations, OCPA has built a roster of 20 full-time employees, strengthening the not-for-profit organization’s capacity to lead Orange County in the transition to clean energy while reinvesting in the community.

“Recruiting highly experienced individuals who have deep knowledge about the energy sector is core to our strategic plan,” said Joe Mosca, CEO of OCPA. “We are proud to have built an exceptional team with a wide breadth of experience across community choice aggregation, investor-owned and municipal utilities, local government, and energy programs. Our team of professionals is laying the foundation to provide value to Orange County’s green energy future for many years to come.”

Pranesh Venugopal joins OCPA as the Energy Programs Manager, helping to guide the development of energy programs tailored to meet diverse community needs, including implementation of OCPA’s Community Power Plan. Venugopal has 20 years of experience in energy efficiency, clean transportation, and distributed energy resources. He most recently served as a Senior Technical Program Manager at The Energy Coalition (TEC), where he led the design and launch of community-focused energy programs, including a California Energy Commission car share program within communities of concern. He also helped manage a portfolio of projects that added up to 15 million kWh of energy savings. Venugopal has a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and is a licensed professional engineer.

Hongyan Sheng assumes the role of Finance and Risk Manager and brings 25 years of experience from Southern California Edison (SCE) to the team. At OCPA, Sheng will execute financial protocols and collaborate closely with OCPA’s Power Resources department to monitor risks associated with the renewable energy sector. In her prior role, she developed SCE’s risk analytics framework and managed demand forecasting, playing a key role in supporting wholesale trading and renewable procurement. She has deep expertise in financial analysis, risk management, budget planning, power procurement, portfolio analysis and implementing regulatory, and compliance initiatives. Sheng holds a Ph.D. in economics and an M.A. in mathematical behavioral science from the University of California, Irvine and has been a chartered financial analyst holder since 2004.

Aracely Cardona has been hired as OCPA’s Procurement and Administrative Analyst. In her role, she will work closely with OCPA’s Finance and Technology team to oversee non-power supply procurement operations to ensure compliance, analyze expenditure trends, and identifying opportunities for cost reduction. Cardona has six years of procurement and accounting administration experience at Central Coast Community Energy (3CE), a community choice aggregator in Monterey, California.

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.