Advocates Call for the Public Utility Commission to Dismiss PGE’s 2025 Rate Increase
Posted on March 14, 2024 by Charlotte Shuff
Tags, Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 14, 2024
Advocates Call for the Public Utility Commission to Dismiss PGE’s 2025 Rate Increase
Consumer advocate Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board makes an unprecedented appeal for regulators to throw out a proposed 7.2% rate increase for PGE households.
Despite skyrocketing bills and heavy outcry from customers, Portland General Electric (PGE) is asking for another 7.2 percent rate increase. Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board (CUB) and other advocates are making an unprecedented appeal to regulators to dismiss this request. Thousands of PGE customers are still reeling from the rate increase and ice storm bills in January. Rates for PGE households have already gone up by 30 percent from December 2022. CUBis also calling on consumers to join the call to throw out PGE’s latest request through a petition directed at the Oregon Public Utility Commission.
In a motion filed to the Oregon Public Utility Commission on Thursday, CUB asked regulators to reject PGE’s 7.2 percent increase for customers. PGE customers just saw bills increase this January. The consumer advocate argued that there has been no sufficient change for the utility since regulators set new rates just weeks ago in December 2023. This request to dismiss is supported by the Green Energy Institute and the Alliance of Western Energy Consumers.
“We’re asking the Commission to do something they have never done before,” said Bob Jenks, Executive Director of Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board. “We are seeing historically high bills for many PGE customers and we need regulators to do something bold and unprecedented. Now is the time to flip the script and show our utilities that consumer protections come before profits.”
In its February filing, PGE asked for these same issues that regulators ruled on last December. PGEhas requested $202 million under the guise of needing more money for battery storage projects. Only about $17 million is for battery storage. While battery storage is PGE’s main talking point, it is clearly not the bulk of the increase. The utility is again asking for higher profits, shifting financial risk to customers, and more that the Commission rejected two months ago.
CUB has also offered the Commission an alternative in its Thursday filing. If they are not willing to dismiss the entire case, the motion also includes an option to severely limit the scope of what PGEcan request. This would include removing all of the items that the Commission just ruled against in December (higher profits, less financial risk for shareholders, and more).
About the Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board (Oregon CUB):
Oregon CUB is an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit established by initiative process to represent the interests of Oregon’s residential utility customers. CUB advocates for customers by working to develop energy systems that are affordable, accessible, reliable, and clean, and ensure telecommunications policies that support universal broadband access.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Charlotte Shuff
Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board
503.719.8744 | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
