SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) is hosting a virtual public comment hearing on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, at 6 p.m. PDT. The event provides customers of Portland General Electric (PGE) an opportunity to comment via Zoom on the impacts of the utility’s proposed increase to electricity rates. Customers may also submit comments in writing or by phone through May 31, 2023.
PGE filed a request to increase rates by 14 percent. This would impact customer rates differently depending on usage and customer type – residential, business, or industrial customers. For a residential customer in a single-family home using an average 890 kilowatt hours (kWh) per month, a current monthly bill is about $141.65. With PGE’s proposed increase, the average residential customer bill would increase to about $164.12 per month. For a residential customer in a multi-family home using an average of 590 kWh per month, a monthly bill would increase from about $95.35 to $110.92.
PGE identifies several reasons driving the proposed rate increase, including the replacement of the Faraday Powerhouse in the Clackamas River Hydroelectric Project to increase generation, improve reliability, and mitigate seismic and safety risks. PGE also identifies numerous investments in its transmission and distribution systems as cost drivers, as well as the effect of high inflation levels on the company’s operational costs, including energy market prices, insurance, interest rates, labor, and materials.
PGE’s general rate change request is undergoing a nearly year-long review and will be fully investigated on behalf of electricity customers by the PUC, the Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board, the Alliance of Western Energy Consumers, and others. This public comment hearing is part of that investigation, which will conclude in December when the Commissioners rule on the request. New rates, if approved, are expected to go into effect January 1, 2024.
Comment via Zoom or phone on May 3
Interested individuals may participate in the virtual public comment hearing to provide verbal comments to the Commissioners and the Administrative Law Judge presiding over this case.
When: Wednesday, May 3, 2023, from 6-7 p.m. PDT
This meeting may go beyond the scheduled end time to allow more people to comment, so please log in before 7 p.m. PST.
View the meeting agenda to access the Zoom link and phone-in details at: bit.ly/41CbvB8.
Spanish translation services are available for community convenience at no cost. For those individuals needing translation services, log into the Zoom platform and select English or Spanish on the bottom of the page. Translation services are not available for the meeting phone-in option.
Submit comments directly to the PUC by May 31
- email licComments@puc.oregon.gov“>PUC.PublicComments@puc.oregon.gov
- Call 503-378-6600 or 800-522-2404 (all relay calls accepted)
- Mail comments to: Oregon Public Utility Commission, Attn: AHD – UE 416, PO Box 1088, Salem, OR 97308-1088
Stay Informed
To stay informed throughout PGE’s proposed rate change process, individuals may request to be added to the distribution list to receive publicly available documents. Submit requests by email to ings@puc.oregon.gov“>puc.hearings@puc.oregon.gov or by calling 503-378-6678. Please specify Docket No. UE 416 in the request.
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The PUC regulates customer rates and services of the state’s investor-owned electric and natural gas utilities, including Portland General Electric, Idaho Power, Pacific Power, Avista, Cascade Natural, and NW Natural. The PUC also regulates landline telephone providers and select water companies. The PUC’s mission is to ensure Oregonians have access to safe, reliable, and fairly priced utility services that advance state policy and promote the public interest. We use an inclusive process to evaluate differing viewpoints and visions of the public interest and arrive at balanced, well-reasoned, independent decisions supported by fact and law. For more information about the PUC, visit oregon.gov/puc.
