🚫 Urge the SOCCCD Board of Trustees to Rescind the Compass Energy Grant - Protect South Orange County
On April 28, 2025, the South Orange County Community College District (SOCCCD) Board of Trustees voted unanimously (7–0) to accept a $750,000 grant from Compass Energy Storage, LLC. The grant, to be distributed over five years, is designated to support Saddleback College’s workforce development and technical training programs, including battery storage technologies.

At face value, this might appear to be a generous investment in education. In reality, it is a strategic move by Compass Energy to advance the highly controversial SJC Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project, proposed in a high fire-risk zone near our community - a project that residents, first responders, and local leaders have vehemently opposed for two years.

🔥 A Dangerous Trade-Off Hidden in Plain Sight
According to Compass and its partner ENGIE’s own April 30th update to the California Energy Commission, this grant is part of a broader series of “community benefits agreements” designed to build goodwill in support of their BESS project. That project, slated for construction in a location with only one evacuation route and a known history of wildfires, poses severe public safety risks - risks that have been detailed extensively by local fire authorities who have confirmed they lack the capacity to safely and effectively contain the type of dual emergency event a BESS-related fire and wildfire could trigger.

The community has spoken clearly: this project is unacceptable, and the location is unsafe.

Despite this, the SOCCCD Board accepted Compass Energy’s funding with little to no public input, no transparent deliberation, and no regard for the widespread community opposition that had already been made known to local and state agencies. The decision was made behind closed doors and disclosed to the greater public only after the agreement was finalized - an alarming failure of public accountability.

 
🛑 This Is Not Just About Money—This Is About Public Trust
Saddleback College’s responsibility extends beyond academic programs- it must uphold the values of safety and trust for the community it serves. This decision undermines that trust, leaving residents feeling abandoned by an institution they have long supported. 

Saddleback College, though named as the grant recipient, is not the primary decision-maker here. The SOCCCD Board of Trustees - elected representatives who serve our communities - approved this grant, including:

Timothy Jemal, who represents Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo
Terri Rydell, who represents San Juan Capistrano
Carol Inmon (President), Ryan Dack (Vice President), PJ Prendergast (Clerk), Lisa Bartlett, and Marcia Milchiker
These officials are accountable to the public, not to private energy developers - and they need to remain that way.
 
🧭 We, the undersigned, demand the following:
Immediate rescission of the $750,000 Compass Energy grant to Saddleback College due to its direct connection to a publicly contested, high-risk infrastructure project.

A commitment to transparency, public engagement, and community-first decision-making by SOCCCD moving forward.
 
✊ Take Action Now
📍 South Orange County Community College District (SOCCCD)
28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo, CA 92692
📞 General: 949.582.4999
📧 Email: hrinfodesk@socccd.edu

Board of Trustees Contact Information

Carol Inmon – President
Ryan Dack – Vice President
PJ Prendergast – Clerk
Lisa Bartlett – Member
Timothy Jemal – Member (Laguna Niguel / Mission Viejo)
Marcia Milchiker – Member
Terri Rydell – Member (San Juan Capistrano)

Lisa Bartlett – Laguna Niguel

Priya Jerome, Executive Director of Procurement & Risk Management: pjerome@socccd.edu | 949.582.4680
Israel Dominguez, Director of Economic & Workforce Development: 949.582.4777

📢 Our Community Deserves Better
This is not simply a policy misstep - it is a breach of trust and a dangerous precedent. The SOCCCD Board’s willingness to accept grant funding tied to a project that threatens the lives, environment, and integrity of our neighborhoods cannot stand unchallenged.

We call on all concerned residents, students, parents, faculty, and local leaders to unite and demand accountability. Help us ensure that our public institutions act in the public’s best interest - not in alignment with private interests that jeopardize our safety.

Sign this petition. Contact your trustees. Spread the word.
South Orange County deserves transparency, integrity, and protection - not betrayal disguised as progress.