San Diego Community Power chief executive Karin Burns is on leave, with the countywide clean energy agency now temporarily in the hands of its chief operating officer. Board members met in closed sessions last week and kept their long-term power purchases moving, but they offered few details about Burns' absence or how long it will last. The leadership gap comes as the agency pursues a multi hundred million dollar procurement push.
Community Power officials told reporters the leave began June 18, according to a spokesperson. The agency released a written statement praising Burns' time at the helm. As reported by Voice of San Diego, County Supervisor Terra Lawson‑Remer, who chairs the Community Power board, said, "Under Karin’s leadership, the organization is well positioned to continue delivering clean and affordable energy to communities across our region."
Board Went Behind Closed Doors and Cleared Acting Chief to Sign Deals
The board held a special closed session meeting June 18, then reconvened June 25 with multiple closed items on the agenda, including a CEO performance review and the appointment of an acting chief executive officer. San Diego Community Power's posted June 18 minutes show the board went into closed session and returned with no reportable action. The June 25 agenda lists items that would authorize the acting CEO to execute two renewable power purchase agreements.
COO Jack Clark Steps In
Chief Operating Officer Jack Clark has been running meetings in Burns' absence and is serving as acting CEO while the board figures out its next move. Voice of San Diego reported that Clark led portions of last week's session and that board leaders said his leadership would keep Community Power's programs on track during the interim.
Big Stakes and Bigger Contracts
San Diego Community Power serves roughly 955,000 customer accounts across the county, making it one of the state's largest community choice aggregators. The June 25 agenda included a proposed nine year agreement for 50 megawatts from a Kumeyaay Wind project and a 15 year arrangement tied to SunZia wind capacity, deals meant to boost local renewable supply even as leadership is in flux. Those details, along with the agency's size, were reported by The San Diego Union‑Tribune.
Burns' Tenure and Pay Package
Burns took the chief executive job in April 2022 under a multi year contract, and Community Power officials told local reporters her current pay is about $505,270 a year. Public records and the agency's past employment agreements show the board can negotiate executive compensation and severance terms as part of its governance oversight.
What Happens Next
For now, the board is continuing with procurement votes and budget decisions while keeping public comments about the leadership shakeup to a minimum. The June 18 minutes recorded no reportable action from the closed session, and Community Power has not publicly disclosed any investigation or specific reason for the leave beyond its written statement about Burns. County and city officials on the board are expected to provide updates at future meetings; the agency's calendar lists its next regular meeting for late August.
