San Diego Community Power Chief Executive Officer Karin Burns has taken leave from her position. The community choice energy program has not disclosed a reason for the departure, nor indicated when or if Burns will return.
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Community Power’s board of directors has appointed Chief Operating Officer Jack Clark as the group’s acting CEO.
In a news release the organization sent over the weekend, Burns issued a statement saying, “San Diego Community Power has built an exceptional team of talented, smart people who are committed to improving the lives of the people we serve. I am confident that the executive team will lead the organization with clarity and focus in my absence.”
In the same news release, Community Power’s board chair Terra Lawson-Remer did not offer specifics about the move.
“Under Karin’s leadership, the organization is well positioned to continue delivering clean and affordable energy to communities across our region,” Lawson-Remer said. “The entire leadership team has been instrumental in building that strong foundation, and Jack’s leadership at this moment will ensure continued focus on our mission.”
A spokesperson for Community Power on Monday declined to offer any more details beyond what was in the news release.
The board of Community Power held its most recent meeting Thursday evening. Burns did not attend. Items listed on the agenda that required votes mentioned that Clark was acting CEO.
Later in the meeting, the board for almost three hours, before reconvening to vote on one final item and then adjourning.
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As of Monday, Burns was still listed as CEO on Community Power’s website.
Burns took the top job in April 2022, signing a three-year deal. She and the board reached a new agreement last year. Her current salary is $505,270, according to Community Power officials.
Community Power serves about 955,000 customer accounts in the cities of San Diego, Chula Vista, La Mesa, Encinitas, Imperial Beach, National City and the unincorporated communities of San Diego County.
The organization is one of 25 community choice aggregation, or CCAs, that have sprung up in recent years across California.
to encourage the growth of renewable energy and provide competition to traditional investor-owned utilities such as San Diego Gas & Electric, CCAs are designed to offer customers higher percentages of renewable sources at comparable or slightly lower rates.
CCAs purchase electricity generation for residents and businesses in their respective municipalities.
Utilities such as SDG&E don’t go away under the CCA framework. They still perform all the responsibilities outside of purchasing power — such as delivering electricity via transmission and distribution lines; maintaining poles and wires; and handling customer services, including billing.
Community Power is the second-largest CCA in the state.
Among the items discussed Thursday, Community Power’s board approved power purchase agreements for :
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- A 15-year deal with Pattern Energy that will deliver capacity from the Sun Zia wind farm in New Mexico — the single largest wind facility in the country. Community Power’s power purchase agreement that starts next year is for 25 megawatts, which is enough to power 20,000 homes per year.
- And a nine-year agreement with Kumeyaay Wind LLC for 50 megawatts from developer Leeward Renewable Energy. Scheduled to begin Sept. 1, the transaction is enough to power the equivalent of almost 40,000 homes annually at the project near the backcountry town of Boulevard.
