In this blog series, we go utility by utility to explain the language included in your monthly gas and electric bill. Find the blog that covers your utility below!

Utility Guides:

• Portland General Electric
• Pacific Power
• Idaho Power
• NW Natural Gas
• Cascade Natural Gas
• Avista Gas

Please note that CUB primarily works with for-profit utilities, so this list is limited to those utilities. If you have a question about a utility not on this list, you can still contact us at !

No one should have to choose between keeping the lights on and affording necessities like rent, groceries, or gas. Thankfully, some nonprofits and local agencies provide support for households behind on their bills.

Please Note: CUB does NOT provide direct energy assistance to households. We encourage customers to reach out directly to the resources listed here for support.

Finding Utility Assistance

The steps to accessing utility assistance can vary based on the provider, but typically, the steps are as follows: Identifying providers, gathering your documents, and applying for assistance.

Step One: Identifying Providers
Identify an available assistance provider using a database such as 211info.org. 211 gives information on eligibility, hours of operation, and, in some areas, which providers have funds available.

Oregon Housing and Community Services also provides a list of all utility assistance providers in the state. This list is broken down by county and does not include information on which organizations currently have funds available.

Step Two: Gather Your Documents
The required documents to apply for assistance may vary based on the organization. Most providers typically will require proof of income, current utility bills, and identification for members of the household. Proof of income may include proof of benefits from other programs (Social Security, TANF, etc.), pensions, child support, unemployment, or other income.

Many assistance programs require a Social Security number for all members of the household. If you do not have a Social Security number, you may still be able to access assistance from some providers.

Step Three: Applying for Assistance
Each provider will have specific days and times when they accept applications. You can find these application windows through the databases listed above. After verifying that the application window is open, it is time to apply. Note that just applying does not guarantee assistance, and there may be a bit of a wait. Many application windows fill up quickly, so it is best to call as early in the timeframe as possible. It may be wise to apply to as many sources of assistance as possible.

Many assistance programs only allow households to receive funds once per service year. Government programs, such as LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program), have these restrictions regardless of which organization helps you receive assistance. Be sure to keep track of where you have applied and who has assisted you.

Emergency Shutoff Assistance

If you have received a shutoff notice or had your utilities shut off, there are certain programs specifically designed to help. These assistance programs often require proof of shutoff or a shutoff notice, so be sure to have one in hand when applying. To find these programs, you can use the same tools as you would to find regular assistance programs. Search for emergency assistance or shutoff assistance to find these funds.

If you are also applying for regular assistance, make sure to mention if you have received a shutoff notice. Emergency assistance can often be faster to help keep your energy connected.

Utility Bill Discount Programs

Oregon households can find some relief through monthly bill discounts from their energy utilities. The discount programs are available for customers at or below 60% of the state median income (SMI) by household size. When signing up, eligible customers will provide their monthly or annual income and household size. Eligibility requirements, by income and household size, can be found on the Oregon Housing and Community Services’ website.

Depending on the utility program, customers will be able to sign up via an online application, calling into the utility, or visiting their local Community Action Agency. Eligible customers with dual-fuel homes qualify for assistance with both their electricity and natural gas providers.

• Portland General Electric: Eligible customers can apply through PGE’s online application or by calling (503) 228-6322.
• Pacific Power: Eligible customers can sign up through the utility’s online application or by calling the customer service line at 1-888-221-7070.
• NW Natural: Eligible customers can sign up by going online or calling the utility’s customer service line at (800) 422-4012.
• Avista Gas: Eligible customers can call Avista’s customer service line to sign up at (800) 227-9187. Customers are also able to sign into their energy accounts and go to the My Energy Rate page for information and sign-up instructions.
• Cascade Gas: Eligible customers can call Cascade to sign up for the program using the customer service number (888) 522-1130 or fill out the online application on Cascade’s website.

Customers can also apply by scheduling an appointment with their local Community Action Agency.

Accessing Assistance Can Be Challenging

It is important to note that getting utility assistance can sometimes take a while. The demand for help is often high, and the availability of funds can vary. Many programs have specific funding cycles, which means they might only have money to distribute at certain times of the year. When funds run out, applicants may have to wait until the next funding cycle to receive assistance. This can be frustrating, but staying in contact with the nonprofit or agency and regularly checking the status of their application windows can help.

Local nonprofits play an important role in helping people access utility assistance. They offer support through resource navigation and case management, helping Oregonians with their bills to the best of their ability. Using resources like the 211info database can help people find the assistance they need quickly and efficiently. Reaching out to these organizations can provide valuable support and make managing utility bills a bit easier.

Local Organizations Can Help You Find Utility Assistance

Local nonprofits often provide two main types of help: resource navigation and case management. While both aim to assist individuals and families, they do so in different ways.

Resource Navigation
Resource navigation is like having a guide. A resource navigator helps people find the right programs and services to meet their needs. They might give information on where to get help paying utility bills, how to apply for assistance programs, and what documents are needed. Resource navigators are great at pointing people in the right direction quickly and efficiently. However, they cannot offer direct assistance.

One useful tool for finding utility assistance is the 211info database. This is a free service that connects people with local resources. By dialing 211 or visiting 211info.org, people can get information on various assistance programs, including those for utility bills. The database is easy to use and provides up-to-date information on available services.

Case Management
Case management, on the other hand, is more in-depth. A case manager works closely with individuals or families over a longer period. They help create a plan to address multiple needs, such as financial assistance, housing, and healthcare. Case managers provide ongoing support and check-ins to ensure that people are getting the help they need and making progress. Some case managers may have funds to offer direct assistance, depending on the agency they work with.

You can also utilize the 211info database to find an organization that provides case management by searching for the keywords “Case/Care Management”. You may also be able to talk to your primary care provider about getting a referral for a case manager, depending on your insurance.

Stay Up to Date on Oregon Utility Issues

CUB will continue to advocate for people in Oregon on major utility issues. Sign up for the CUB email list for the latest updates, action alerts, and news on policies that affect the utilities your home relies on.

Donate to CUB

To keep up with CUB, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and LinkedIn!

Join us again this year for a packed day of knowledgeable panelists, networking with industry leaders, and highlighting diverse voices. We will dive into the challenges of transitioning to a cleaner energy system, meeting growing energy demands, and navigating a changing policy landscape.

Register today for the 2026 CUB Energy Policy Conference and save! Early Bird registration closes at 5:00 pm on September 1st.

Register Today

16th Annual CUB Energy Policy Conference

Friday, October 2, 2026
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sentinel Hotel
614 SW 11th Ave, Portland, OR 97205

Conference Website

Harnessing Local Energy

Finding Local Solutions to (Inter)National Energy Challenges

In just the last few years, Oregon’s energy landscape has seen many big, new challenges. We’ve seen hyperscaled energy demand from data centers, cuts to federal support for customers and utilities, large rate increases, and record household disconnections. With all of these hurdles, attention is increasingly turning to what we can do close to home to address both our energy needs and the human impacts of our industry. In a world with increasingly globalized energy, we need to start to think more locally for solutions.

To create the energy system all Oregonians deserve, we need to work together. All customers, from big industry to households, need to be the best neighbors we can be for everyone else on our energy systems. How can we reimagine local support systems in the face of federal cuts to energy programs? How can large load energy users create benefits for local communities and the grid? How can we leverage efficiency and flexibility as a tool for affordable energy? What role do local policies have in meeting state emissions reduction goals? And what does the changing ownership in our utilities do for our grid and our communities?

Register Today!

About the Conference

The CUB Energy Policy Conference is designed as a day of discussion, networking, and sharing diverse perspectives. This conference is ideal for community groups, regulators, advocates, utility representatives, attorneys, or those interested in our region’s energy industry.

Sponsoring CUB’s 2025 Conference

Sponsorship helps make this event possible. Each year, the CUB Policy Conference brings together over 250 attendees to discuss the evolving energy policy landscape in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Sponsorship directly enables these critical conversations—and positions your organization as a leader in the clean energy transition.

It’s an excellent opportunity to highlight your organization’s commitment to clean, affordable, and equitable energy solutions. Learn about CUB’s sponsorship opportunities at our Conference Website or by contacting Cassie Allen at .

Stay Up to Date on the CUB Energy Policy Conference

Want the latest conference updates? Sign up for the email list for updates on panelists, speakers, and other conference information!

Join the Conference Email List

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Last summer, state legislators passed the POWER Act (HB 3546), which ensures that data centers and cryptocurrency operations pay their fair share for the significant demands they place on Oregon’s electric grid. But this new law cannot be the only protection. We’re still facing risks to our energy grid and our power bills from data centers’ expansive growth.

This summer, Oregonians have an opportunity to encourage strong, smart new policies at the state level. Governor Kotek has pulled together an advisory committee on data centers that will make recommendations ahead of next year’s legislative session. We need to make sure that these policymakers are hearing our concerns and working towards solutions for our energy grid.

Oregon Data Center Advisory Committee

Data centers—and their big energy usage—are a growing issue in Oregon. Over the past decade, our state has become one of the top destinations in the world for big tech companies to build out data centers. And with this big growth comes a lot of challenges that Oregon needs to address.

Read More: Why is Oregon a Hot Spot for Data Centers? (CUB Blog)

Governor Kotek convened the Data Center Advisory Committee to develop recommendations for a comprehensive regulatory framework to strategically pursue economic development opportunities. This committee also seeks to ensure that utility costs, infrastructure investments, and environmental impacts remain sustainable and equitable for all residents, especially low-income and working families.

Going Beyond the Power Act

Oregon has taken a big step forward in addressing Oregonians’ energy affordability with the POWER Act, but we need to keep pushing.

PGE has started to roll out new protections that insulate other customers—like your home—from data centers. Pacific Power has started the process of making its rules for data centers.

Read More: Regulators Direct PGE to Protect Oregonians from Data Centers (CUB Blog)

We can look forward to more protections from the POWER Act as Oregon’s two biggest electric utilities make real the new rules for data centers:

• Data center costs will be charged to data centers, reducing the strain on household energy bills.
• Oregonians are protected from skyrocketing bills from infrastructure that only benefits data centers, slowing the rise of energy costs for our families.
• Utilities have better tools to plan for new energy demand while prioritizing clean energy.

But the POWER Act was never intended to be a silver bullet! We still need policymakers to keep going to protect Oregonians from data centers.

Creating New Policies to Address the Risk of Data Centers

Without new policy intervention, Oregonians are at risk as more data centers come to town. We need to act soon on adding more proactive protections for affordability, health, and safety while we still can.

Data Centers are Straining our Energy Grid

Our energy system was not set up for adding new customers the size of cities, and data centers are straining the grid.

According to The Oregonian, PGE says its data center load increased from 50 average megawatts in the spring of 2020 to more than 300 average megawatts in the second quarter of 2025. That’s equivalent to the power use of about 240,000 homes. This number is going to keep growing.

Adding more data centers and their big energy demand means we need more energy supply for everyone. When PGE adds the equivalent of 240,000 homes over five years, they need to find new sources of energy to serve that demand. And adding new energy resources can be expensive!

On days or times when everyone is using a lot of electricity all at once, data centers’ big energy use could force utilities to purchase energy at a much higher cost than planned from the market, driving up all of our power bills. As we’re seeing more and more extreme weather, these days are happening more often. Climate change means that this risk will continue to grow.

If utilities can’t properly plan for big usage, the impacts can be devastating to everyone. The strain of data centers’ big energy needs could lead to blackouts during extreme heat or cold, putting Oregonians’ health and safety at risk. We need reliable electricity to keep our homes at safe temperatures for our health and to prevent structural issues, like freezing pipes.

Data Centers Should Be Part of the Solution

Data centers should be part of the solution and help us strengthen the energy grid for everyone in Oregon!

Data centers should bring in new energy generation and capacity. This helps utilities avoid building new power plants or buying new resources from expensive markets. This saves us money on our bills and makes the grid more reliable.

Data centers should be more flexible during peak energy times, like extreme weather. For Oregonians, maintaining power at home and in community spaces is a matter of safety. Data centers do not have the same risk to human life and health during extreme weather. This flexibility could include rules for “curtailing,” or shutting off, data centers to avoid energy emergencies. Similar policies are already used in other states.

Data centers should help fund home energy upgrades for low-income families to reduce the overall strain on the energy grid. Solutions for those with the most barriers—such as renters and those in manufactured homes—help both the grid and lower energy bills for those who can least afford them. Funding for programs that help these families is currently very limited or does not exist.

Addressing Data Centers’ Impact Now is Vital

We need to act soon on adding more proactive protections for affordability, health, and safety while we still can.

If we can’t manage data centers’ energy demand, power bills could continue to grow more unaffordable. Without asking more of these customers that are using an outsized amount of electricity, utilities are forced into buying more expensive energy options to keep our lights on. Data centers bringing their own energy resources can help us avoid higher bills.

Without ways to reduce energy needs, data centers will continue to strain the grid and threaten our health and safety with energy emergencies. Unplanned outages, especially during extreme weather, put our homes at risk if our utilities cannot keep up with peak energy demand. Data centers can provide more flexibility with their own energy usage, and help fund household solutions that reduce overall energy demand.

We need new policies now that include data centers positively contributing to our energy grid before we risk the reliability of the electricity Oregonians need to live. Without new policy intervention, Oregonians are at risk as more data centers come to town.

You Can Get Involved!

This June, the Governor’s Data Center Advisory Committee will meet to discuss energy and affordability issues. CUB’s Executive Director, Bob Jenks, will be speaking about the need for policymakers to address these issues. We need you to join us in calling for strong protections and solutions for data centers’ energy impact in Oregon.

Through June 26, you can submit written comments by emailing . For the biggest impact, add what you are concerned about with data centers and your utilities!

Want to go even further? Connect with CUB’s Community Organizer to get more involved with action on data centers! Email to see how you can join the movement.

Stay Up to Date on Oregon Utility Issues

CUB will continue to advocate for people in Oregon on major utility issues. Sign up for the CUB email list for the latest updates, action alerts, and news on policies that affect the utilities your home relies on.

Donate to CUB

To keep up with CUB, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and LinkedIn!

Before attending law school, Sofia studied Political Science and Sustainability Studies at the University of Florida. There, she joined the Sunrise Movement and co-founded the Green New Deal for UF campaign. During that time, she also worked as a project coordinator for the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department, where she was a primary author for their Climate Action Plan. These experiences solidified her desire to address climate change, energy inequality, and the just transition to clean, reliable energy. She is bringing an intersectional approach to energy law as she works on wildfire liability and cap-and-trade issues this summer.

Outside of burying her face in law textbooks, Sofia likes to go on hikes with her partner and dog (Skit), bake pies, and sing in her local choir. This is her first time in the Pacific Northwest, and she is excited to spend this summer exploring Portland’s parks, rivers, and, most importantly, its food scene.

Join CUB in welcoming Sofia!

Stay Up to Date on Oregon Utility Issues

CUB will continue to advocate for people in Oregon on major utility issues. Sign up for the CUB email list for the latest updates, action alerts, and news on policies that affect the utilities your home relies on.

Donate to CUB

To keep up with CUB, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and LinkedIn!

What is a Data Center?

From the outside, data centers don’t look like much. They are big buildings, often appearing as unassuming warehouses or office parks, that tend to be in rural communities. But inside, these centers house vast networks of computing and storage devices.

When you log into your email or share a post on social media, the computing that makes that possible is housed in data centers. This storage can maintain hospital patient information online, operate telecommunication networks, provide hosting for websites, and much more. This computing is associated with more traditional data centers. But data centers also support generative artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT or Claude.

With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), the demand for these types of server warehouses has surged to new heights. Oregon currently has at least 142 data centers in operation or planned, ranking it the 9th state in the US with the most data centers.

Oregon Checks All the Boxes for Data Centers

Building a data center requires local approval, addressing land use concerns, construction, and more. Before making such a large investment, big tech companies are making strategic decisions on where they should build. Oregon is extremely attractive to data centers because we check every box for their priorities:

1. Reliable, available electricity
2. Proximity to network infrastructure
3. Available, relatively affordable land
4. Cool climate, perfect for cooling systems
5. Generous tax breaks and incentives
6. Low risk of natural disasters
7. Security Considerations
8. Cost considerations for land, construction, ongoing operations, and electricity

Attracted by Oregon’s favorable conditions, these large energy users are flocking to Oregon in droves. From 2019 to 2024, data center growth for just Portland General Electric (PGE) has been the equivalent of adding 162,400 families to PGE’s system. This growth has only increased since 2024.

Good Geography in Oregon

Close to Internet Infrastructure
Data center build-outs also rely on access to crucial under-the-ocean fiber optic network hubs. These are needed to connect the work of data centers across the world. These hubs touch land in Oregon, yet another reason why data centers land in our state.

Lots of Land
Oregon has a lot of undeveloped land, one of the reasons why our state is so beautiful! In 2026, the data center industry occupies around 2,900 acres of land statewide. But plans are in the works to make an additional 9,100 acres available for development, quadrupling the industry’s footprint.

Best Deal on the West Coast

No Sales Tax
Unlike surrounding states, Oregon has no sales tax. Big tech companies save tens of millions when buying data center equipment worth billions, like expensive computers needed for server farms. In comparison, Washington state provides a sales tax break on computer equipment, but only in certain counties. California requires a sales tax to be paid on all purchases.

Big Tax Breaks
Our state goes a step further to spur data center development. Unlike Washington and many other states, Oregon allows local governments to grant unlimited property tax breaks to tech companies. These tax breaks don’t need to be tied to job creation either, which is crucial because data centers don’t actually need many employees to operate. According to records compiled by the Oregonian, data centers will avoid paying more than $450 million in Oregon property taxes in 2026 alone.

These tax breaks are hitting Oregonians hard, disrupting beyond just energy cost impacts. In 2024, Oregon schools lost $275 million from these corporate tax breaks. Hillsboro School District, the region with the most data centers in Oregon, has lost the most money to these tax breaks.

Data Centers Add a Lot of Costs to Our Energy Grid

With data center growth on the rise in Oregon, so too is its energy demand. Data centers use a massive amount of energy to operate— an entire city’s worth! A single 30 MW data center uses more electricity than the City of Ashland. Larger, 250 MW data centers, associated with AI, require a similar amount of energy to that of the City of Eugene, Oregon’s third-largest city.

All of Big Tech’s energy usage is straining Oregon’s electrical grid and driving up our energy bills. Utilities now need to keep up with data centers’ skyrocketing energy demand by investing in new energy infrastructure and buying power from other states in some cases. These costs are then recovered by raising customer energy bills.

Hillsboro is one of the top ten fastest-growing data center hot spots in the country. To manage this massive growth, PGE recently completed the Hillsboro Reliability Project in Washington County, which was primarily for serving data centers. The publicly available estimate of part of that project to serve data centers is at least $210 million in local transmission investments. It included two substations built solely to serve data centers. (The actual cost is hidden in confidential legal documents, but it is even higher.)

Reining in Data Centers: The POWER Act (HB 3546)

Passed in 2025, the POWER Act (HB 3546) ensures that data centers and cryptocurrency operations pay their fair share for the significant demands they place on Oregon’s electric grid. The new law allows regulators to fairly assign infrastructure and energy costs to the data centers that cause the costs, rather than passing those costs on to Oregon families and small businesses. This law only applies to Oregon’s regulated electric utilities: Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, and Idaho Power. They provide electricity to the majority of Oregon families.

The major vehicle for these protections is creating a new customer category for data centers within Oregon’s for-profit electric utilities. Utilities can track the energy costs of those unique businesses and bill them appropriately. This protects Oregonians and small businesses from paying for the initial costs of bringing data centers online and the ongoing costs for providing service.

Now, CUB is working hard to ensure that data centers pay their fair share, as regulators work with utilities to implement the new law. We’ll keep pushing for data center accountability, ensuring households aren’t left footing the industry’s big energy bills.

Treating Data Centers Differently (Because They Are!)

Data centers are far outpacing the growth of all other electricity customers. Before passing the POWER Act, data centers benefited from the fact that utilities spread the cost of load growth across all customers. Data centers were lumped into the “industrial” class of customers, despite being very different energy users from other traditional industrial customers. With the rise of data centers, this became an outdated and unfair approach.

Without a way to track data centers’ costs and impacts, residential customers have seen their utilities increase over the last few years.

This year, we are working with regulators, utilities, and other energy advocates to make the POWER Act a reality! Stay tuned for important updates about how new rules will protect Oregonians and rein in data centers’ energy impacts.

Stay Up to Date on Oregon Utility Issues

CUB will continue to advocate for people in Oregon on major utility issues. Sign up for the CUB email list for the latest updates, action alerts, and news on policies that affect the utilities your home relies on.

Donate to CUB

To keep up with CUB, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and LinkedIn!

Oregonians won big with this decision. PGE customers now have strong consumer protections in the face of data centers’ skyrocketing growth over the past few years. This includes new rules to limit data centers’ impacts on our power bills, new funding for low-income home energy efficiency and repairs, and restrictions on adding new data centers until there is enough renewable energy available.

Want to learn even more about this decision? Check out the full docket on the Commission website!

PGE is the First Utility to Roll Out the POWER Act

In 2025, the Oregon Legislature adopted the Protecting Oregonians With Energy Responsibility (POWER) Act (HB 3546) with bipartisan support. The legislation addresses one of Oregon’s most pressing energy challenges: rising utility costs driven in part by the explosive growth of energy-intensive data centers and cryptocurrency. HB 3546 directed regulators to hold large energy users accountable for paying for their own energy costs. This was the first of its kind legislation in the U.S.

PGE was the first utility to begin implementing the POWER Act. Consumer advocates involved in this case included the Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board, as well as the Green Energy Institute, representing a coalition of groups, including Climate Solutions, Columbia Riverkeeper, Community Energy Project, and Oregon Environmental Council.

How Will This Decision Impact Customers?

We will know the full impacts on our energy bills in June. PGE will release the impacts on billing rates for data centers, household customers, and other businesses in early June. We are confident that by this summer, we will see data centers paying higher rates that more accurately reflect the costs they are putting on our energy grid. It is yet to be seen what effect this will have on home and business energy bills.

Regulators’ decision will have long-lasting effects, though. By moving data centers’ costs onto data centers’ power bills, Oregonians will avoid high costs down the line. We hope to see this impact reflected in a slowdown in bill increases compared to what customers have experienced over the past few years.

Limiting Data Center Impacts on Our PGE Bills

By creating a new customer category for data centers, PGE can now track the energy costs of those businesses and bill them appropriately, protecting Oregonians and small businesses. Data centers will be financially responsible for the full lifetime of new infrastructure built for their growth. The Commission rejected PGE’s proposal to only charge data centers for many costs for only 10 years. As of 2025, PGE spent $210 million on data center growth in Hillsboro alone, with many of these expenses having a 50-year lifetime.

Now, customers will have additional protections from data centers. Included are guardrails, including:

• Deposits for new data centers
• Contract lengths of 10 to 30 years (depending on size),
• Penalties for going over the contracted electricity usage
• Limits on confidentiality in contracts

PGE also must provide greater transparency in reporting, allowing regulators and advocates to understand the larger impacts of data centers on the system.

New Funding for Lowering Home Energy Bills

Data centers that use more than 100MW (more than three times the City of Ashland) will now have to pay a modest surcharge, $0.01 per kWh of usage, to fund energy efficiency upgrades for low-income households. A surcharge on data center usage to fund programs for low-income customers will help lower costs for those who have been overburdened with bill increases in recent years.

“Energy Trust of Oregon identified a need to fund programs that provide energy efficiency and other resources for low-income customers. This surcharge will help to do just that, providing tangible benefits to customers who need it most.” - Cole Souder, Staff Attorney for the Green Energy Institute at Lewis & Clark Law School.

These funds will help fill a much-needed gap in existing energy efficiency upgrade programs. For too many, the option to access funds for high-efficiency appliances is limited by home electrical issues like old wiring, faulty equipment, or a lack of permitted electrical work from previous owners. Others may have high energy bills due to structural issues, like a hole in a roof, repairs not currently covered by existing energy programs.

No New Data Centers Without Enough Clean Energy

Regulators also ruled that new data centers can only be connected to PGE’s grid if there is enough emissions-free electricity available to serve them. PGE is required by law to serve all customers with 100% emissions-free electricity by 2040.

“Through strong implementation of the POWER Act, this order represents a vital step toward ensuring data centers take responsibility for their energy and affordability impacts. It protects families and small businesses from rising costs, strengthens grid resilience, and helps keep Oregon on track toward a reliable, equitable, and 100% clean energy future.” - Nora Apter, Oregon Director at Climate Solutions

New data centers must enter a queue before connecting to PGE’s electric grid. To connect, they must show that there is enough clean energy to serve them. This could encourage data centers to source their own emissions-free electricity, battery storage, or show flexibility in their energy demands. 

Pacific Power is Up Next for Reining in Data Centers

Pacific Power has started its own data center investigation proceeding at the Public Utility Commission this spring. Regulators are expected to make a decision on this proceeding in November 2026.

Stay Up to Date on Oregon Utility Issues

CUB will continue to advocate for people in Oregon on major utility issues. Sign up for the CUB email list for the latest updates, action alerts, and news on policies that affect the utilities your home relies on.

Donate to CUB

To keep up with CUB, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and LinkedIn!

Regulators Set New Rules for How PGE Charges Data Centers for Electricity
The Oregon Public Utility Commission released a new order on data centers, requiring more consumer protections for Oregonians, and added requirements to support emissions reductions.

SALEM, OR — In a landmark decision this week, the Oregon Public Utility Commission directed Portland General Electric (PGE) to add guardrails to protect Oregonians’ energy bills from data centers and a new customer category to charge data centers for their energy usage.

Customers now have strong consumer protections in the face of data centers’ skyrocketing growth over the past few years. These large users are a driver of PGE bills rising nearly 50 percent in the last five years. PGE will release the impacts on billing rates for data centers, household customers, and other businesses in early June.

“This decision is overall a win for Oregonians. CUB expects that we will soon see data centers paying for their own energy costs,” said Bob Jenks, Executive Director of Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board (CUB). “We are confident that by this summer, we will see data centers paying higher rates that more accurately reflect the costs they are putting on our energy grid.”
Now, customers will have additional protections from data centers. Included are guardrails like deposits for new data centers, contract lengths of 10 to 30 years (depending on size), penalties for going over contracted electricity usage, greater transparency in reporting, and more.

By creating a new customer category for data centers, PGE can now track the energy costs of those businesses and bill them appropriately, protecting Oregonians and small businesses. Data centers will be financially responsible for the full lifetime of new infrastructure built for their growth. As of 2025, PGE spent $210 million on data center growth in Hillsboro alone.
Data centers that use more than 100MW (more than three times the City of Ashland) will now have to pay a modest surcharge to fund energy efficiency upgrades for low-income households.

“A surcharge on data center usage to fund programs for low-income customers will help lower costs for those who have been overburdened with bill increases in recent years, as the Commission acknowledged,” said Cole Souder, Staff Attorney for the Green Energy Institute at Lewis & Clark Law School. “Energy Trust of Oregon identified a need to fund programs that provide energy efficiency and other resources for low-income customers. This surcharge will help to do just that, providing tangible benefits to customers who need it most.”

Regulators also ruled that new data centers can only be connected to PGE’s grid if there is enough emissions-free electricity available to serve them. PGE is required by law to serve all customers with 100% emissions-free electricity by 2040. This new rule will help manage costs for other customers outside of data centers during the transition to clean energy.
“This is a historic, precedent-setting win that puts Oregon at the forefront of managing data center growth the right way,” said Nora Apter, Oregon Director at Climate Solutions. “Through strong implementation of the POWER Act, this order represents a vital step toward ensuring data centers take responsibility for their energy and affordability impacts. It protects families and small businesses from rising costs, strengthens grid resilience, and helps keep Oregon on track toward a reliable, equitable, and 100% clean energy future.”

In 2025, the Oregon Legislature adopted the Protecting Oregonians With Energy Responsibility (POWER) Act (HB 3546) with bipartisan support. The legislation addresses one of Oregon’s most pressing energy challenges: rising utility costs driven in part by the explosive growth of energy-intensive data centers and cryptocurrency. HB 3546 directed regulators to hold large energy users accountable for paying for their own energy costs.

PGE is the first utility to begin implementing the POWER Act. Pacific Power has started its own data center investigation proceeding at the Public Utility Commission this spring. Regulators are expected to make a decision on this proceeding in November 2026.

Consumer advocates involved in this case included the Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board, as well as the Green Energy Institute, representing a coalition of groups, including Climate Solutions, Columbia Riverkeeper, Community Energy Project, and Oregon Environmental Council.

###

MEDIA CONTACT:

Charlotte Shuff
Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board
503.719.8744 |

Juan Muñoz Jiménez
Climate Solutions
(937) 219-5565 |

What I didn’t expect was a potent example of hope itself, and a lesson in why infrastructures are so crucial for hope. 

Infrastructures aren’t just the invisible stuff you take for granted. They are more like their own centers of gravity. The pieces—the wires and photovoltaics and contracts and permitting and so on—all need to come together before they work as a whole. That is, before they run smoothly enough for you to take them for granted.

The history of electrification shows that no one just “rolls out” an infrastructure. Pieces are drawn in over time, piggybacking on one another in layers. At first, they don’t necessarily all fit or coordinate, but over time and with adjustment, they click. This is what makes infrastructures so powerful: through all this piggybacking and layering, the whole eventually changes.

The Gooding Annex solar park boasts 10 rows of solar panels with a capacity of 1.23 MW. VERDE hopes to build a new solar park adjacent with about 1.5 MW of capacity in the coming years.

The tour was impressive — 1.23 megawatts of power generated right next to the airport, and turned into electricity bill credits for 150 Portlanders with low incomes via Pacific Power. This is what that kind of capacity represents. 1 MW of electricity can power between 100 and 200 homes annually. For the Cully residents helped out by this solar park, international conflicts were not going to stop these electrons from flowing.

Initiated by a $4 million Portland Clean Energy Fund grant to Verde, the project seems to have taken a life of its own. At every possible decision point—every element of the layering—the community was centered.

Here are some examples. The credits could have just gone to direct bill payers — homeowners — but instead were designed in ways that include renters, so that those who might need it most also benefit. The installation process could have just gone to the lowest bidder, but instead prioritized training and employing people who face discrimination and exclusion on the open labor market. The maintenance of the land could also have gone to the lowest bidder, but instead is done by members of neighboring Dignity Village, a self-governed community of people previously living on the streets. In fact, the project also supports access to solar power at Dignity Village, thus reducing the risk of fire.

Community members walking between the rows of solar panels. Tatiana explains that the week prior, they’d had sheep grazing at the solar park as a form of regenerative maintenance on the land.

This approach extended to the land itself. Land maintenance could have been a thoughtless “mow and blow,” but Verde treated the land as something alive, not something to beat back. The tour walked through sheep prints, hardened into the recently dried soil. The sheep had brought the grasses down to a manageable level and added their fertilizer. Our guide Tatiana discussed plans for a local organization to plant pollinator-supporting species, at which point someone raised the prospect of growing edibles, and started a connection to someone else who could do that. She also pointed out that the native plant restoration was underway just outside the fenceline, also done by Dignity Village locals.

In other words, this was becoming a place that mattered to people, and even other species. The panels were an anchor for more.

It became a place that mattered because of these incremental decisions. This infrastructure isn’t just an infrastructure for moving electrons around; it has become an infrastructure for much-needed relationships. Each choice shifts the center of gravity towards the community and all its members. That is what grows and strengthens connections.

We usually think about a large solar array as just the physical back end of a bill that arrives monthly, the one that you may or may not be able to pay. At a time when so much seems like it is going off the rails, I am glad that the folks at Verde saw a lot more.

Dr. Dawn Nafus is an affiliate faculty member in the Department of Anthropology at Oregon State University.

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For years, CUB has expressed mounting concern that continuing to grow the natural gas system will harm current and future Oregonians. This includes customers of Cascade Natural Gas, which serves Bend. Adding gas service to new buildings increases costs to existing customers and adds additional risk in the future.

This April, CUB spoke in support of Bend’s new approach to promote all-electric homes in front of the City Council. See our full letter of support for even more information!

What is Bend Doing to Promote All-Electric Homes?

When a developer builds a new home, apartment building, or even a whole neighborhood, they have to choose—gas or electric. Once a builder makes that choice, the home is basically locked into that energy source going forward. This can impact how future residents stay warm during the winter, heat their water, cook their food, and more.

95% of new single-family homes in Bend are built with gas appliances.

If, down the line, a homeowner needs to get a new appliance, the cheapest option will always be the same appliance as what the home was built with. And renters do not have a choice on what type of appliances are installed or replaced. This creates a big problem for cities that are trying to meet their carbon emissions goals. Building new homes with gas now means many people are stuck with gas for decades down the road.

Bend’s Solution: Fees for New Gas

The Bend Climate Impact Fee will place a one-time fee on new homes built with natural gas. The proposed fee will be based on the size of the home and its anticipated energy use. But developers who build with modern, all-electric systems avoid this charge entirely.

“New all-electric homes cost less to build and less to operate. By incentivizing electrification, Bend can help ensure new homeowners start saving money from day one, with lower monthly bills and protection from volatile natural gas prices. Building smart from the start also avoids the high costs of converting to electric later, locking in savings and comfort for decades to come.” - Energize Bend

This approach is part of a growing “build smart from the start” movement. Just last year, Ashland, Oregon, passed a similar new rule adding a fee for new gas appliances.

The one-time fee will be applied per dwelling, meaning for each single-family home or each unit in multifamily housing. There are three tiers, based on square footage, ranging from $1,415-3,265. Revenue from the fee will go back into Bend to pay for addressing climate change impacts from fossil fuels. This may include funding an incentive program for high-efficiency electric appliances in Bend homes.

Expanding the Gas System is Bad for Existing Customers

Climate change requires reducing the combustion of fossil fuels, including natural gas. The state’s Climate Protection Program requires that gas utilities reduce their emissions by 50% by 2035. The City of Bend has its own climate goals, too, aiming to reduce community-wide fossil fuel use by 40% in 2030 and 70% in 2050.

Adding New Gas Homes Increases Costs for Everyone

It costs Cascade Natural Gas customers approximately $1,300 for each new residential gas connection. In its most recent rate case, Cascade Natural Gas forecasts 16% residential customer growth, or roughly 12,000 new customers.

Adding these new customers would cost all customers an estimated $15.6 million in subsidies just for the hookups alone. These costs are recovered from every Cascade customer, not just those who choose to connect new homes to the gas system.

Regulators found that policies subsidizing new natural gas connections in homes no longer make sense. The Oregon Public Utility Commission has ordered that both Avista Natural Gas and NW Natural Gas phase out these subsidies.

The Bend Climate Impact Fee aligns with the policies and preferences of the people of Oregon to move away from fossil fuels that drive climate change, making our communities more susceptible to deadly heat waves and forest fires.

More Customers Means More Expensive Emissions Reductions

Oregon has set ambitious, multi-layered greenhouse gas reduction goals through legislation and executive action, aiming for significant reductions below 1990 levels. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) developed the Climate Protection Plan. The plan requires natural gas utilities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 50% from their historic baseline by 2035, and 90% by 2050.

Right now, Cascade needs to reduce approximately 371,854 metric tons of CO2 by 2035. If Cascade were to meet its 16% household growth, that would add about 38,000 metric tons of CO₂ per year. And all of those emissions cost money to reduce. A lot of money.

By avoiding adding new gas homes to the system, Cascade customers could avoid expensive additional emissions reduction costs. Cascade has already spent more than $8 million constructing the Knott Landfill RNG project. The gas utility has also indicated it intends to continue making similar investments and will charge customers for those costs. A far lower-cost strategy would be to avoid adding new customers altogether or to prioritize energy efficiency.

New Gas Impacts Generations of Oregonians

Cascade estimates a 50-year lifespan for the service pipe connecting a home to the gas system. This means a new connection made today stays on customers’ bills through 2076. Even if one of these homes chooses to go electric, those costs remain on everyone’s bills —except for the family that leaves the gas system.

Cascade is projecting to spend hundreds of millions on growing the gas system and expensive options to reduce emissions, driving up home gas bills already. These costs also stay on customer gas bills for decades.

As more and more customers choose to leave the gas system, those that remain will face mounting costs. The people left behind may prefer a gas stove. But many more could be those who do not have the option to go electric, no matter how expensive gas gets. Renters and low-income homeowners are the most likely to get stuck on an expensive gas system, with rising costs and fewer people to spread those costs between.

The Bend Climate Impact Fee creates the opportunity to avoid a future where those who can least afford expensive gas are stuck living in a gas home built today.

When You Are in a Hole, Stop Digging

Will Rogers once said, “If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.” This is where we are now. Cascade must reduce emissions, but wants to keep digging itself into a deeper and deeper hole of emissions it needs to reduce.

The Bend Climate Impact Fee is a ladder out of Cascade’s emissions hole. Slowing down the growth of the gas system by adding an incentive to builders helps all gas customers.

Under current conditions and projected economic and market trends, CUB believes that policies that move households away from residential gas connections, and toward more efficient energy sources like heat pumps, are in the best interest of gas utility customers.

Stay Up to Date on Oregon Utility Issues

CUB will continue to advocate for people in Oregon on major utility issues. Sign up for the CUB email list for the latest updates, action alerts, and news on policies that affect the utilities your home relies on.

Donate to CUB

To keep up with CUB, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and LinkedIn!