California spends about $150 million each year to keep a gas-fired power plant ready for emergency backup, and leaders at the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) want it shut down.
What's happening?
Writing in an opinion essay for the Ventura County Star, Lucia Marquez, associate policy director at Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy, urged California to stop funneling public money to the Ormond Beach Generating Station and encourage support for community solar plus storage.
Since March 2024, she said, the facility has stayed in the state's Electricity Supply Strategic Reliability Reserve as a "break-the-glass" option for emergencies, at a cost to taxpayers of about $13 million each month — funds that would go further if they were directed toward expanding community access to local solar power and battery storage.
According to Marquez, CAUSE has spent years pushing for the plant's retirement. She added that the Oxnard City Council passed a resolution in April 2025 opposing any further extension of the site, while the water board has reaffirmed its plan to retire the facility by the end of 2026.
Why does it matter?
Marquez argued that extending the life of older fossil fuel facilities leaves nearby communities dealing with harmful air pollution while energy costs keep rising.
She also pointed to the disproportionate burden pollution places on lower-income neighborhoods and communities of color, noting that almost 2 million Latino families nationwide live within a half-mile of oil and gas facilities. Those communities also face higher rates of illnesses such as asthma and cancer.
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Because rooftop solar is not an option for many Californians, Marquez said a stronger community solar program could offer another route to cheaper, cleaner power by letting households subscribe to local solar projects and get credits on their utility bills without paying upfront for panels.
What's being done?
Marquez pointed to AB 1813 — a bill about community solar and storage currently before the California Senate — as a way to strengthen the state's infrastructure for solar. She argued that the bill would help California narrow the gap with the more than 20 other states that already have community solar programs.
The model would allow residents to sign up for small nearby solar projects, including ones built on warehouse rooftops or unused farmland, and receive credits on their utility bills. Participants would face no upfront costs or cancellation fees.
CAUSE is also continuing local pressure campaigns around the Ormond Beach plant.
Marquez said California must "move away from relying on large fossil fuel plants and instead invest in distributed, community-scale clean energy resources that strengthen reliability and resilience." For communities "locked out of the promise of clean energy for far too long," she said, that is "worth fighting for."
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