Thirteen dollars a month. That’s how much more an average Pacific Power residential customer in Oregon may have to pay as of Jan. 1.
With the increases for business and industrial customers, it would bring in about $106 million for Pacific Power, says the Citizens Utility Board, which looks after the interests of utility consumers in Oregon.
Should Pacific Power get it? Or is the utility asking for too much? You can tell the Oregon Public Utility Commission what you think.
The increase for average residential customers will be about 14%. That’s where the $13 a month comes from.
Pacific Power does face a reality of increasing costs. It must close coal-fired plants and transition more to renewable energy. That’s the direction given by Oregon law. It is spending millions to reduce the danger of wildfire from power lines. Oregonians do want Pacific Power to do that, right? Natural gas prices are going up. The utility has some gas-fired plants. Buying electricity on the market can cost more.
Beyond costs, Pacific Power proposes some policy changes. It proposes to move to seasonal rates. Electricity would be cheaper in winter and more expensive in summer. That may make sense to encourage people to use power wisely when demand will spike in the summer for air conditioning. Price should signal cost and costs for Pacific Power are higher in times of high demand. But the downside is, of course, that people with less money in warmer parts of the state will be hit hard because of such a change.
Pacific Power is also seeking other changes in how it how it gets compensated. Bob Jenks, executive director of the Citizens Utility Board, told us Friday Pacific Power is asking for a change that would have customers assume more of the risk than they do now if Pacific Power is off in its projections. Matt McVee, vice president of regulatory policy and operations for Pacific Power, told us the change is important because it can be a long time between when the utility must make projections and actual costs are known.
The PUC meets Tuesday at 6 p.m. to discuss the proposals. There is more general information about the PUC and rate increases here: tinyurl.com/ORpucrates. You can comment on the proposed increases by emailing the PUC at PUC.PublicComments@puc.oregon.gov. You can also call 503-378-6600.
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