Oregon Public Utility Commission

• Jun 1, 2025

  Letha TawneyChair designation · Chair

  Gov. Kotek appointed Commissioner Letha Tawney as Chair of the Oregon Public Utility Commission, bringing new leadership as utilities navigated rising rate pressures.

• Jan 14, 2025

  Karin PowerAppointment · Commissioner

  Gov. Tina Kotek appointed state Rep. Karin Power — previously Kotek's Natural Resources and Climate Advisor — as a commissioner of the Oregon Public Utility Commission.

Address

201 High Street, SE, Suite 100, Salem, OR 97301

Phone

(503) 378-6600Fax (503) 378-6163

Website

oregon.gov ↗

Utility landscape

• Pacific Power (PacifiCorp) IOU

  Eastern Oregon, southern Oregon coast, and parts of central Oregon; interconnected with PacifiCorp's six-state western grid

  Subject to ongoing scrutiny over wildfire liability following 2020 Labor Day fires and 2022 Oregon wildfires; OPUC has required enhanced wildfire mitigation plans and cost recovery mechanisms. Recent general rate case activity has focused on accelerated coal plant retirements and transition cost allocation.

• Portland General Electric (PGE) IOU

  Greater Portland metropolitan area, Willamette Valley, and portions of northwest Oregon; serves approximately 900,000 customers

  Filed a significant general rate case in 2024-2025 cycle seeking increases tied to grid modernization and Clearwater Wind integration costs. OPUC has closely scrutinized PGE's Integrated Resource Plan commitments to 100% clean electricity by 2040 and associated capital investment recovery.

• NW Natural (Northwest Natural Gas) IOU

  Portland metro, Willamette Valley, and parts of southern Washington; largest gas distribution utility in the Pacific Northwest

  Faces existential regulatory pressure as Oregon advances building decarbonization policy; OPUC proceedings examining gas system planning under declining load scenarios. NW Natural has pursued renewable natural gas tariffs and hydrogen blending pilots as part of its long-term viability strategy before the commission.

• Idaho Power (Oregon operations) IOU

  Small service territory in eastern Oregon border communities, primarily in Malheur County

  Oregon operations are a minor portion of Idaho Power's overall footprint; OPUC coordinates with Idaho PUC on joint rate case proceedings. Transmission expansion for eastern Oregon wind and solar development has become an increasing coordination issue.

• Central Electric Cooperative coop

  Central Oregon high desert region including Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson counties; serves rural customers across roughly 10,000 square miles

  As a Bonneville Power Administration preference customer, Central Electric's rates are influenced by BPA wholesale rate adjustments. The co-op has invested in demand response and distributed energy resources to manage load growth driven by Bend-area population expansion.

• Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) muni

  City of Eugene and surrounding urban growth boundary; provides both electric and water utility service

  EWEB operates under Eugene city charter governance rather than direct OPUC jurisdiction for electric rates, but participates in statewide policy proceedings. The utility has faced rate pressure from aging hydroelectric infrastructure and climate-driven variability in McKenzie River water supply affecting combined operations.

Key issues

• Gas utility long-term planning and stranded asset risk: OPUC is advancing proceedings to require NW Natural and other gas LDCs to file scenario-based integrated resource plans reflecting declining residential load under Oregon's building decarbonization policies, including HB 2021 clean electricity mandates and local electrification ordinances; cost allocation between remaining ratepayers and exiting customers is a central contested issue.
• PGE and Pacific Power wildfire cost recovery and mitigation: Following catastrophic Oregon wildfire losses, OPUC has developed a wildfire mitigation plan review process; both IOUs are seeking recovery of enhanced vegetation management, covered conductor, and public safety power shutoff (PSPS) program costs, with consumer advocates challenging the pace and magnitude of rate increases.
• Clean Energy Plan compliance under HB 2021: Oregon's mandate requiring large IOUs to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from retail sales by 2040 (with interim 80% reduction by 2030) is driving contested IRP proceedings at OPUC; Pacific Power's multi-state IRP creates jurisdictional tension over Oregon-specific resource adequacy and contract approval authority.
• Electric vehicle infrastructure and transportation electrification cost recovery: OPUC is adjudicating tariff filings from PGE and Pacific Power for utility-owned EV charging infrastructure programs, fleet electrification incentives, and time-of-use rate design intended to shift EV charging load; proceedings involve contested questions about the appropriate level of ratepayer subsidy versus market deployment.
• Transmission access and interconnection queue reform for eastern Oregon renewables: Large volumes of wind and solar projects proposed for eastern Oregon face multi-year interconnection delays on the PacifiCorp and BPA transmission systems; OPUC is engaged in stakeholder processes examining state-level transmission planning authority and potential Oregon participation in regional transmission organization expansion discussions.

Upcoming

• 2026-09-15

  Estimated deadline for public comments in OPUC's ongoing proceeding reviewing NW Natural's long-term gas system planning filing; parties including Sierra Club and Citizens' Utility Board of Oregon expected to submit competing economic analyses on accelerated depreciation and stranded cost methodologies.

• 2026-10-01

  Estimated OPUC order anticipated in Portland General Electric general rate case docket; commission staff proposed adjustments to PGE's capital investment recovery timeline for Clearwater Wind and Seaside substation projects are expected to result in a modified rate increase below the utility's original filing request.

• 2026-11-18

  Estimated evidentiary hearing date in Pacific Power's Oregon-jurisdictional Clean Energy Plan compliance filing under HB 2021; intervenors including Renewable Northwest and OPUC Staff are expected to challenge PacifiCorp's multi-state resource allocation methodology and Oregon cost attribution assumptions.

• 2027-01-30

  Estimated deadline for PGE and Pacific Power to submit updated Wildfire Mitigation Plans to OPUC per the commission's revised annual review cycle established in 2025 rulemaking; plans must include updated risk modeling, PSPS protocol revisions, and three-year capital investment schedules subject to prudency review.