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 !

Cooling without Air Conditioning

Air conditioning units can be expensive, both to run and to purchase. If you don’t have access to air conditioning, you still have options to keep cool and stay safe.

Open Windows Strategically
Letting in outside air is a great way to passively cool your home if you open your windows at the right time. Try to only open windows when the outside temperature is cooler than the inside temperature.

During the evening, night, and early morning, open your windows to let in cooler air. During the daytime, keep your windows closed.

Cover your windows
When the sun is hitting your windows, close blinds and drapes to block incoming heat. As sunlight hits the inside of your home, it heats it up. The closer the covering is to your window’s glass, the more effective it will be.

Insulated drapes, blackout curtains, and honeycomb-style blinds are particularly energy efficient. Window coverings are especially effective if you have inefficient single-pane windows.

Use Fans
Fans allow you to keep cool while using less energy than air conditioning systems. Ceiling fans use 5 percent of the energy of a window air conditioner unit. Box fans are more affordable than A/C units.

During the day, while your windows are closed, use fans directly on your body. Fans don’t actually cool down the air. But having a breeze can help your body cool faster, making you more comfortable.

From evening to early morning, add a box fan to your open window. Box fans can help move the cooler air inside more quickly. This is most effective if you can leave the windows open with the fans on overnight. 

For those in the Portland area, check out Community Energy Project’s DIY Cooling Workshop. Qualified participants will receive free cooling supplies.

Small Unit/Portable Air Conditioning

For many people, particularly renters, portable air conditioning is the only option. In 2022, many organizations and local governments plan to help. For those in Portland, check out the Heat Relief Program from Earth Advantage. Read our recent blog, Cooling Resources for Oregonians, for more information about renters’ rights for A/C and how to qualify for free cooling units!

Choose the Right Unit for Your Space
When purchasing an air conditioning unit, make sure that you are sizing it correctly. Your room size, amount of sunlight, and other factors impact what is best for your cooling. If you buy an A/C unit that is too big, you’ll use too much energy. Buy too small, though, and you won’t stay as cool.

Energy Star is a helpful resource for sizing your cooling and finding an energy-efficient option.

Only Cool Used Rooms
If you use room air conditioners, only turn them on in rooms you’re actively using. When the unit is on, close the door to the room you’re in. This helps cool the room faster and uses less energy.

Consider also closing the doors to rooms that you are not using. This will help keep the heat from those rooms trapped and the space cooler. (Please note that this advice does not apply to whole-house air conditioning.)

See the bottom of this article for maintenance tips.

Whole House Air Conditioning

Many households enjoy air conditioning throughout their homes. While these systems are generally more efficient overall, they can cost more than smaller units. Whether you already have central air or you’re looking to install it, here are some energy tips to consider.

Consider Switching to a Heat Pump
Heat pumps are high-efficiency heating and cooling systems. These systems work by taking the heat from the air around them and moving (pumping) it inside or outside. In the summer, the heat pump takes the warmer air inside and moves it outside, keeping you cool. During the winter, it does the opposite to warm your home.

Heat pumps are growing in popularity because of how efficient they are. A traditional electric furnace is usually around 95 percent efficient. A heat pump is around 300 percent efficient. This helps you save money on your heating and cooling year-round. Find out more about switching with Energy Trust.

Read More: Heat Pumps 101 Blog

Keep Your Interior Doors Open
When your air conditioning is turned on, keep doors between rooms open as much as possible. Particularly with ducted air conditioning, airflow is key to efficiency. When doors are closed, your system has to work harder to move air and uses more energy. (Please note that this advice does not apply to portable A/C units.)

Use Your Thermostat Efficiently
Avoid setting your air conditioner’s thermostat at a colder setting than necessary when first turning it on. Air conditioners remove heat from the home at a constant rate. Initially, setting your air conditioner at a colder-than-necessary temperature does not cool your home any faster. And if you forget to turn the temperature down, you end up using more energy.

Try to set your thermostat to 78 degrees during the day when you’re at home. Increase the temperature by 5-7 degrees at night and when you’re away from home. Using a smart thermostat can help make scheduling energy use easy. See if you qualify for a discount with Energy Trust.

Maintain Air Conditioning Units

Conduct regular maintenance on your air-conditioning system to ensure that it runs more efficiently. Ask your service technician to check and clean the heating coil in your air conditioning unit. Remember to replace your air filter at the start of each cooling season and check it monthly after that.

Have a great summer and keep cool using these energy efficiency tips!

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!

CUB is a strong supporter of local efforts to reduce emissions and address climate change. Activists are currently gathering signatures to put the initiative on the November 2026 ballot.

Eugene’s Initiative: Funding Local Climate Justice Projects

While not a novel concept, taxing corporations is an approach gaining significant traction in addressing climate change. Eugene’s Clean Energy Fund would establish a 2% “Large Retailer License Fee” on the gross profits of corporations earning both more than $1 billion in profits annually in the United States and over $500,000 in profits within the City of Eugene.

The funds created by the initiative would fund four major categories of climate justice projects:

• Renewable energy & energy efficiency programs (60%)
• Clean energy jobs training, apprenticeships, & contractor support (25%)
• Green infrastructure programs that result in carbon gas sequestration (10%)
• Future innovation (5%)

A committee of appointed City residents would be responsible for allocating the revenue generated by the fee on clean energy, sustainability, and climate resiliency projects across Eugene. Non-profits and other IRS tax-exempt organizations will be able to apply for the funds to realize these projects.

“It is time to hold billion-dollar corporations accountable. Our community is already experiencing deepening impacts from the climate crisis, alongside a housing and affordability crisis. We need to invest in real solutions now. The Eugene Clean Energy Fund will take two percent of massive corporations’ profits and invest that money into clean energy, community resiliency, and sustainability projects, which will create jobs and help build a better future for our City.”
—Aya Cockram, Eugene Community Member and Chief Initiative Petitioner

Leading the initiative is a coalition of environmental and climate justice organizations, including Beyond Toxics, Sierra Club, Oregon Just Transition Alliance, Breach Collective, and more. CUB supports Eugene’s efforts to increase energy efficiency efforts for households and to create funding support to meet local climate goals.

Eugene is Falling Short of Local Climate Goals

In addition to Oregon’s state climate goals, Eugene established its own benchmark for reducing emissions at the local level. The City Council adopted the Climate Recovery Ordinance (CRO) in 2014, setting the goal of reducing community fossil fuel use by 50% of 2010 levels by 2030.

According to the Eugene Clean Energy Fund initiative, community fossil fuel emissions have decreased by only 11% since 2010, leaving a 39% gap to close by 2030.

Drawing Inspiration from the Portland Clean Energy Fund

Eugene’s approach might sound familiar to Portlanders. This initiative is directly modeled after the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF). Passed by voters in 2018,  PCEF is a 1% surcharge on Portland’s largest retailers. The funds are distributed as investments in community-led projects to reduce carbon emissions, making Portland more resilient to climate change. PCEF has generated $1.71 billion in funding for climate programs since its inception.

Similar Local Climate Initiatives

Throughout Oregon, cities and towns are taking matters into their own hands to fight climate change, protecting residents from climate impacts in the long term. Eugene’s efforts to work towards emissions reduction draw similarities to campaigns in Ashland and Bend.

In February 2025, the city of Ashland became the first city in Oregon to impose a fee on new natural gas hookups. Despite public support, the fee faced legal challenges and pushback from Avista, Ashland’s natural gas provider.

Eugene was poised to become the first in Oregon to require 100% electric appliances in new home construction. But strong pushback from NW Natural, including a signature-gathering campaign and legal challenges, forced Eugene’s city council to back down from the efforts.

Earlier this month, Bend joined Ashland in adopting a fee on natural gas appliances in some new residential construction. The Bend Climate Impact Fee places a one-time fee on new homes built with natural gas. The fee is based on the size of the home and its anticipated energy use. Developers who build with modern, all-electric systems avoid this charge entirely.

CUB has expressed mounting concern that continuing to grow the natural gas system comes with too much financial risk to current and future Oregonians. Adding gas service to new buildings increases costs to existing customers and adds additional risk in the future.

Read More: CUB Supports the Bend Climate Impact Fee

CUB Supports Local Initiatives

At CUB, we believe in a just transition to clean, affordable energy. The Eugene Clean Energy Fund will help move the city towards that goal. CUB has officially endorsed the initiative and encourages other organizations to support these local efforts.

Folks who would like to get involved can reach out to the Eugene Clean Energy Fund directly for volunteer opportunities!

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!

In this blog, we lay out how to stay informed of utility shut-offs, how to prepare ahead of time, and what you can do to prepare your home in case of a wildfire.

Stay Informed of Utility Shut-Offs

Oregon electric utilities will be using public safety shutoffs as a last resort. Shutting off power during fire season is itself a public hazard. Shutoffs can interrupt cell phone service, delay emergency response, and endanger the health of residents. Many people need home cooling and electricity access to manage medical conditions. Shutoffs are particularly hazardous when they coincide with extreme heat waves.

Not all areas are subject to these preventative outages. Only customers in certain high-risk zones will see public safety shutoffs.

During periods of high wildfire risk, utilities may shut off power to mitigate the risk of a fire. In order to stay informed on utility shut-offs in your area, each utility company has a different way of receiving alerts.

Portland General Electric:
Sign up for text alerts through your account. Download the PGE app for up-to-date alerts.

Pacific Power:
Sign up for text alerts through your account. Download the Pacific Power app for up-to-date alerts.

Idaho Power:
Sign up for text alerts through your account. Download the Idaho Power app to receive real-time alerts.

For more in-depth information on wildfire emergencies and alerts, download the FEMA mobile app to receive details on large-scale wildfires. During an emergency declaration, FEMA updates its app to ensure people have access to up-to-date evacuation information.

Prepare Ahead of Time

It’s critical to have a clearly laid out emergency plan that everyone in your household is familiar with. There are many ways to develop an emergency plan with your household, and each household is different. The Department of Homeland Security has created a helpful, interactive outline for disaster planning.

Here’s what you can do to prepare for a wildfire:

• Emergency Kits: Prepare kits with essential items like food, water, medications, and important documents. Have enough supplies for at least two weeks.
• Communication Plan: Make a plan to stay in touch with your family and know different evacuation routes.
• Alerts and Notifications: Sign up for local emergency alerts to stay updated on wildfire news. The FEMA mobile app and local county notifications can give real-time alerts.

Make sure that once you have your plan in place, everyone in your household understands the plan and reviews it every few months.

It’s Time to Evacuate, What’s in Your Go-Bag?

It’s essential to have a go-bag ready in your house in case of an emergency. Each person’s go-bag contents may vary, but there are some essentials that every go-bag should have:

• An N95 Respirator for every household member
• 1 gallon of water for every person, per day, for several days
• A five-day supply of nonperishable food for every person in your household
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert
• Flashlight
• First Aid kit
• Extra batteries
• Whistle
• Hand sanitizer, moist towelettes, and toilet paper
• Can opener
• Solar cellphone charger or a fully charged battery-powered cellphone charger
• A five-day supply of any important medications

These items should be placed in an easily accessible space in your home. If you are able to, it is recommended you grab any important personal documents, like your passport, along with your go-bag.

Prepare Your Home

One of the best ways to protect your home is by creating a defensible space around it. This means:

• Clearing Vegetation: Remove dead plants, dry leaves, and other flammable materials from your yard.
• Plant Selection: Choose plants that are less likely to catch fire. Oregon State University has resources to help you pick the right ones.
• Maintaining Property: Regularly mow the lawn, trim trees, and clean out gutters.

Home Hardening

Making changes to your home can help it resist catching fire from embers and heat. Here are some tips:

• Roof and Gutters: Use fire-resistant materials for your roof and keep gutters clean.
• Vents and Openings: Cover vents with mesh to keep embers out.
• Windows and Doors: Install double-paned windows and make sure doors are fire-resistant.

By taking these steps, you can help keep your home and family safe during wildfire season. Preparedness is key. Always remember, the safety of you and your family comes first.

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!

Energy inefficient homes can create a host of problems: families struggling to make ends meet, unsafe living conditions, housing instability, and a bigger strain on our energy grid.

Energy Insecurity & Housing Instability

A disconnection for non-payment is the canary in the coal mine for housing instability, for eviction, and for foreclosure. When families don’t pay their energy bills, it is almost always because they have to prioritize housing costs and other household essentials like food and medicine.

Even before a family misses a bill, families have often already been using coping strategies, or what we call “energy-limiting behaviors,” to try to get by with as little energy as possible. To try to better afford their energy bills and avoid being shut off from energy entirely. For example, not using AC at all in the summer. This is energy insecurity.

“I was forced into choosing to pay my power bill or buying groceries, or paying my power bill or my rent. I chose to have a home. I cut back on how much I eat and was eating less healthy foods because they are cheaper. I also started reducing the amount of power I use, only turning on the lights when absolutely needed and only running the AC when it was super hot.” - Ceri S., Medford, OR

When families cannot afford to cool their homes in the summer due to inefficient housing, inefficient or a lack of cooling, they face dangerous circumstances that impact their health and safety. People do die in their homes from heat and lack of cooling.

Energy Insecurity: Summer 2025 Data

Nearly one-third of the disconnections that happened in 2025 (a total of 71,190) happened in the summer. In June, July, and August of 2025, 21,306 households were shut off from energy service because they could not afford their bills. Of these, 80% were electricity system disconnects. This is energy insecurity.

“I am a disabled ex-Marine. I have glaucoma and edema of the retina, leaving me unable to see. I lost my job because of this and now am unable to work at all. I received very little money from disability and am unable to keep up with my bills. My power is on but I can’t run the A/C, even when the temp is supposed to be 103º in Medford today, because the bill gets too high.” - Mark S. Medford, OR

Portland General Electric: Low-Income Customers with High Energy Use

This data looks at a subset of households that are enrolled in PGE’s monthly bill discount program. That means we know they have incomes at or below 60% of the State Median Income, adjusted for household size. In 2025, that would be $78,827 a year for a family of four. These customers have higher-than-average energy use and are in the top 10% of energy users in the bill discount program.

You can see the tremendous disparities in usage that result in much higher energy bills for already low-income families. It is very safe to assume that in these winter months in particular, these households have resistance heating and are living in homes that are in serious need of weatherization and repair.

“This summer, PGE disconnected my service due to overdue payments. The higher prices during the winter were too expensive for me and accumulated. I owed PGE $1079.39 and one day in June, they disconnected me. I think it was a Friday. My family was left without electricity for a day and a night [...] Simply put, you can either pay for rent, food, or electricity, but you can’t pay for all three.” - Soledad M., Portland, OR

And when looking at the whole year of data, it is the same story. High usage customers are consistently double or higher than the monthly average of the average residential customer. In August 2025, these families used more than 2x the energy as the average PGE household, and their bill was over $100 more, even with their monthly discount.

This shows you another measure of energy insecurity: how much families owe in past-due bills across the year.

The green line at the top represents these known low-income customers who receive a monthly bill discount and who have very high energy use, and how much in past-due bills they owe on average each month. We can see that households with the highest usage—households that we know are living with low incomes—have tremendous past due bills, especially coming out of the winter heating season. They simply cannot afford $400 dollar monthly winter bills or $300 dollar monthly summer bills.

Pacific Power: Low-Income Customers with High Energy Use

This is the same subset of households, but in Pacific Power territory. You can see that while Pacific Power has fewer impacted households than PGE, there are extreme disparities in usage that result in unacceptable energy bills for low-income families. Generally, Pacific Power customers live in parts of the state where it’s colder in the winter and hotter in the summer, so they are going to be using more energy than PGE customers on average.

In August 2025, these families used nearly 5x the energy as the average Pacific Power household, and their bill was over $300 more, even with their monthly discount.

How can a low-income family afford a monthly winter heating bill of $600? And a summer bill that is almost $500? These homes are very likely in desperate need of critical repairs, weatherization, and other energy efficiency upgrades to their home.

“I get $2,595 between retirement and benefits. I pay $152 a month for Pacific Power. It’s more and the winter, and my gas bill goes up too. But right now I’m paying 6% of my income just on the power bill. I ended up getting my power shut off because the trailer I was living in wasn’t weather proofed at all. Then the rates kept increasing, so my power bill kept getting higher and higher. I’m on a fixed income, so it eventually became more than I could pay. I’m also on disability. I eventually did get shut off.” - Lisa L., Phoenix, OR

Beyond Summer: Energy Efficiency is Needed Year Round

While the focus of this blog is on cooling and heat resilience, from an energy perspective, you cannot separate summer resilience solutions from winter resilience solutions. It is good news that these seasonal problems can have the same solutions. It just means we can get more bang for our buck!

In the winter, heating is needed around the clock to stay safe and warm. But many families have very inefficient means to heat their homes, such as resistance heat, which includes baseboard heaters, wall heaters, or even space heaters.

For families who live in inefficient housing, on top of having resistance heat, managing their energy bills in the winter is even more of a problem. Those in drafty homes in need of repairs and weatherization have higher energy costs. We see this for those low-income families with the highest usage in PGE and Pacific Power territory data above.

But what we cannot see from the data shared here are all of the different dangerous coping mechanisms families have to endure. Families wearing winter jackets, hats, and scarves inside. Skipping meals. Stopping their insulin. All to save money on outrageous energy bills.

High Energy Demand Threatens Our Energy Grid

The inefficiency of our home’s infrastructure and equipment is not just a problem for individual homes and the families who live in them. It’s a problem for the entire energy grid.

Having many homes that use significant amounts of energy on the hottest and coldest days doesn’t help our grid. But a much larger threat to grid reliability is data centers.

Data centers threaten our shared grid’s reliability, and on a larger scale than inefficient homes. They create more risks for widespread blackouts in the coming years during energy emergencies that can come from extreme weather. This is of particular concern in the winter, as we have fewer resources available to meet our peak energy needs.

Because of the scale of the issue, it is no one family’s responsibility to solve the problem in their own home. The threats to our energy grid go well beyond personal responsibility, especially for those who cannot afford expensive home upgrades. We must all work together to rein in our energy demand across the state.

Leveraging Data Centers for Good: Lowering Household Energy Bills

We do have solutions to address resiliency at both the household and grid level to ensure more resilient summers and winters for all of us: weatherization, home repairs, and heat pumps.

“As a young person who rents, my utility bill in the summer months is about three times higher than in the winter months. This is because my apartment was not built to insulate from heat, and I have no central air conditioning. The portable AC units that I have raise my electric bill substantially, and my apartment is still often 90 degrees inside on hot days.” - Paloma R., Ashland, OR

One solution to addressing grid reliability, especially under a just energy transition framework, is intentionally reducing the energy needs of households that have inefficient housing infrastructure and appliances. And we can include data centers as a part of that solution.

If data centers want to come to town, they need to be good neighbors. By requiring data centers to help fund critical home repairs and energy efficiency improvements, we can feed two birds with one scone. Data centers can receive incentives for doing so, such as joining the grid faster. And low-income households can access much-needed funding that is not currently available for solutions that not only lower energy bills well into the future, but also make homes healthy.

This has the potential to add significant capacity to the grid by reducing the energy needs of the overall system. And better ensure a just energy transition for Oregonians who are struggling to make ends meet!

Read More: Oregon Still Needs More Protections Against Data Centers (CUB Blog)

Heat Pumps Provide Benefits Year Round

In addition to much-needed critical repairs with weatherization, we need to ensure our heating and cooling appliances are the most efficient. While AC and heat pumps use the same sort of technology, new heat pumps are so efficient that they take less energy to cool. This means you can spend less money to stay cool and safe in your home.

Cold-weather heat pumps are 150-200% more efficient than resistance heating. For example, on the coldest of days, like a 5-degree Fahrenheit day, a cold-weather heat pump uses half the energy of resistance heat!

Our Homes Are the First Line of Defense

Investing in making homes more efficient, for the families who can least afford it, is an investment in resiliency for our homes:

• Helps keep people housed and healthy in their homes
• Helps keep everyone’s energy costs down
• Helps families make room for the costs of other essentials like housing, food, healthcare, and transportation

These resiliency investments in our homes can also benefit the overall energy grid and wider communities:

• Increases grid capacity and reliability
• Lowers the risk of energy emergencies during extreme weather
• Reduces emissions and improves air quality

Unfortunately, right now, thousands of homes across Oregon are making families more exposed to climate and energy-related risks. And energy efficiency can be a big part of the solution for not just these families, but everyone in Oregon.

Our homes can actually be the first line of defense against energy insecurity, against an increasingly strained energy grid, and against more extreme weather.

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!

Right now, we have the opportunity to make significant strides in reining in utilities asking for big increases to customer bills. Regulators are now considering a proposal that would require all for-profit utilities to create five-year spending plans, meet community-supportive metrics, and stick to a budget.

CUB is supporting this exciting new proposal and encouraging community members to weigh in.

Want even more details? See the full docket! Docket AR 676 is available on the Public Utility Commission website.

Spreading Out Rate Increases: Writing the Rules for Utilities

Regulators have opened a process to develop the specific rules for spreading out utility rate increase requests over multiple years by the end of 2027. The goal of developing this process is to lessen the number of times utilities can raise customers’ energy bills. It’s time to center Oregonians in utility decision-making!

No More Surprises: Creating a Multi-Year Rate Plan Framework

Regulators are now considering a proposal that would require all for-profit utilities to create five-year spending plans, stick to a budget, and meet community-supportive metrics.

With these rules, regulators can better control when rate increases happen. Right now, utilities choose when they want to ask regulators to change billing rates, and regulators have to respond. The longer process not only protects customers from frequent large increases but also allows regulators and advocates to dig deeper into what utilities are asking for in their requests.

CUB Supports Requiring Five Year Plans

Proposed: Utilities must create five-year plans for spending, investments, and more.

We’ve all seen what happens when utilities are not held to budgeting plans: power bills up by 50% in four years (2021-2025). By requiring utilities to create five-year plans, we can hold them accountable for controlling their costs. And creating a standard expectation of what will go into these plans helps regulators, advocates, and customers know what to expect for the near future.

In the past, it was uncommon for utilities to ask for big bill increases every year. But now, it’s become standard for utilities to make requests most years. These rules will help ensure utilities better control their costs, protecting your home energy bills. Right now, utilities can also request approval for smaller rate increases as needed for one-off or specific programs. Before the FAIR Energy Act passed, utilities were asking for more one-off requests, more often, making it difficult to track how much energy bills increased year over year.

And utilities want to maintain the status quo. Oregon’s largest for-profit utilities are pushing back hard to keep the status quo. In fact, what they are arguing for could even make things worse. Having standardized requirements for long-term planning means they have to change their tactics and face the realities of limits. Not having the “flexibility” to raise customers’ bills when it is most convenient for them is a big change. But it’s a change that is in the best interest of Oregonians!

CUB Supports Requiring Utilities to Stick to a Budget

Proposed: Utilities have limits on how much money can be added to customers’ bills over the length of their five-year plans.

We are all tied to a budget, and our utilities should be, too. Over the last five years, as utilities have added massive amounts to our gas and electric bills, more and more Oregonians have struggled to keep up with costs. This is especially true for households living in old homes that desperately need critical repairs, weatherization, and other energy efficiency upgrades. Disconnections are on the rise, with record numbers of families losing critical utility service each year because it is too expensive. And a goal of the FAIR Energy Act is to help make sure this trend does not continue!

Without clear guardrails, utilities will keep spending and asking us to pay them back. For example, PGE has been a major offender in allowing costs to balloon without much accountability. In 2020, PGE set a capital spending target for 2024 at $500 million. By February of 2023, it had grown by almost 50% to $730 million. But its growth kept accelerating, to $1.34 billion in April of 2024 - a 268% increase from the original spending target in just four years.

But utilities do not like this budget framework. Instead of a standardized framework, they are arguing for aspects of the plan to be handled on a case-by-case basis. But what they are actually asking for is to be able to continue throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. And this approach comes at the expense of customers. We need to stop the unending major bill increases and give customers more predictability.

CUB Supports Requiring Utilities to Meet Community Benefit Metrics

Proposed: Utilities have requirements for meeting performance standards on disconnections, maintaining their system, and (for electric utilities) community-based clean energy.

Oregon’s for-profit electric utilities need some encouragement to make choices that reflect Oregonians’ values. In addition to the FAIR Energy Act, state legislators also passed Performance-Based Regulation (SB 688) in 2025. With this new framework, a portion of utilities’ profits would be tied to what Oregonians value most. These priorities can be related to affordability for customers, reducing emissions, meeting safety standards, and other goals.

The proposal for meeting community benefit metrics helps ensure that Oregonians’ needs are adequately met by utilities. This proposal includes utility company necessities: reliability, safety, and customer service. But it also goes further to require performance on reducing disconnections, making the most out of our existing infrastructure to limit unnecessary investments, and more investments in renewable energy that support our communities.

Utilities say they aren’t ready to move forward with developing performance metrics, and we should wait. Their argument is that they need more time to assess what communities need. But we cannot throw the baby out with the bathwater. This stalling tactic is one that we have seen countless times: delay studies and do nothing. And we already have a lot of existing data pointing to what customers need. Oregonians need utilities that work for them, and moving forward with developing these metrics is the right thing to do.

Even More to Come: FAIR Energy Act Implementation

HB 3179 requires energy rate increase requests to be spread out to at least every 3 years by 2027, with added customer protections before next year. It also prevents increases in home energy rates during peak winter months, when energy usage and bills are highest. And it increases transparency so consumers know what they are paying for and what to expect from any proposed changes to energy bills.

Together, we can expect these changes to slow the pace of energy bill hikes and help customers be more prepared for future increases.

Multiple Stages to Making FAIR Energy a Reality

Last Fall, regulators at the Public Utility Commission opened four dockets as part of their process to roll out the FAIR Energy Act over multiple stages. The five main components include:

• Building frameworks for required multi-year plans for rate increases
• Setting a schedule for when utilities can request major bill increases
• Banning winter rate increases for home customers
• Customer impact analysis
• Utility reporting expectations (bill increases and what costs are causing rates to go up)

Regulators plan to accomplish the big goals set out in this process by mid-2027.

Read More: Next Steps for the FAIR Energy Act (CUB Blog)

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!

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.

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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 .

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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!