More than a year and a half after its scheduled connection to the electrical grid, Del Sol High School in Oxnard remains powered entirely by diesel generators, resulting in millions of dollars in additional costs. The delays stem from a series of construction setbacks, contract disputes, and permitting issues, with no grid connection expected until at least December 2023.
According to documents and interviews obtained by The Star, the Oxnard Union High School District has spent nearly $3.5 million on generator maintenance and fuel since February 2023. Despite an estimated $700,000 that would have been spent on conventional power, the delays have drained an additional $2.8 million from the district’s budget.
The problems began as early as 2022, when delays in obtaining city approvals for electrical lines forced the district to power the campus with temporary generators. Superintendent Tom McCoy defended the district’s decision to use generators rather than halt the project, citing the high costs of delay. “Stopping the project would have cost at least $4.5 million,” McCoy said. “The district educates kids, and getting the high school open was a priority.”
The district also faced additional fines, settling four permit violations with the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District in August 2023, totaling $56,000.
The grid connection delays stem largely from a contract stalemate between Southern California Edison (SCE) and the city of Oxnard. Disagreements over a new contract to cover underground utility lines led to a redesign of the project, with SCE seeking land-use rights from the Maulhardt family, who own property near the school.
Emails reviewed by The Star suggest that the district may have been aware of the potential for delays as early as 2021. However, McCoy and other district officials have said that they only became involved in discussions about the contract in April 2023. SCE has stated that land-use issues and incomplete documents held up their ability to move forward.
The district has since begun digging and installing infrastructure, but the most recent delay is due to SCE awaiting land-use rights from the Maulhardt family, which were finalized in September 2023.
As of now, Del Sol High continues to rely on its three diesel generators, which cost nearly $160,000 per month in upkeep, while efforts to connect to the grid slowly progress. McCoy expressed frustration over the situation but stressed the importance of seeing the project through. “There are a thousand things that could have gone smoother,” he said, “but we have to keep moving forward.”
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