More Accomplishments
- 2014 - CUB’s Triangle Utility Oversight Model Guides Commission Findings
CUB develops a triangle model of effective utility oversight that is helpful to the Portland Utility Oversight Blue Ribbon Commission in understanding 1) the decision making role of the City Council, 2) the need for CUB as an independent analyst and advocate from outside City Hall, and 3) the need for a stronger internal oversight group with a broad charge, integrated into the city budget process to ensure attention by decision-makers. The CUB model helps guide the Commission’s review of options, and shapes its recommendations to the City Council.
- 2014 - Utility Oversight Blue Ribbon Commission Features CUB Expertise
CUB’s Portland consumer advocate Janice Thompson is appointed to the 12-member Utility Oversight Blue Ribbon Commission, tasked by the Portland City Council with making recommendations for improved accountability and oversight of the Water Bureau and the Bureau of Environmental Services. The Commission begins its work in July 2014 and makes final recommendations to the City Council in November.
- 2014 - CUB Water/Wastewater Program Founded
CUB is designated by the City of Portland, in January 2014, in a five-year agreement to act as the residential rate payer advocate for Portland water, sewer, and stormwater customers. For the first time in its 30-year history, CUB begins analyzing rate structure, investments, and other matters pertaining to the water and environmental services bureaus of a major metropolitan city.
- 2012 - NW Natural Customers Win Rate Decrease
After a long, hard fight, CUB wins a number of victories for NW Natural’s residential customers in their 2012 general rate case. Most notably, customers win a rate decrease of 5%.
- 2011 - CUB Holds Inaugural Energy Policy Conference
CUB Policy Center invites members of utilities, industry and legal professionals, and regulators to participate in its inaugural energy policy conference: Smart Grid: Today’s Regulation and Tomorrow’s Technology.
- 2011 - CUB and ICNU Check PGE Gas Hedging Strategy
CUB takes issue with PGE’s natural gas and electricity market hedging strategies, arguing that the company hedged too much gas too far in advance. As a result of CUB’s argument, which is made in conjunction with the Industrial Customers of Northwest Utilities (ICNU), the Commission reduces the amount PGE can charge customers for its net power costs by $2.6 million.
- 2011 - US EPA Approves Boardman Closure
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA ) approves PGE’s plan to close the Boardman coal plant early, affirming CUB’s pioneering clean air analysis and securing savings for customers of at least $200 million.
- 2011 - PacifiCorp Income Tax True-Up Yields Customer Savings
CUB negotiates $13 million in savings for ratepayers in PacifiCorp’s annual income tax true-up docket.
- 2011 - PacifiCorp Rate Increase Reduced by $7.9 Million
PacifiCorp seeks a $61.6 million increase in its power costs, which would causes a 5.6% rate increase. CUB fights hard during this proceeding to make sure that PacifiCorp customers’ issues are addressed. During the proceeding, PacifiCorp agrees to accept some of the proposals made by CUB and other intervenors, which reduces PacifiCorp’s request by $7.9 million.
- 2011 - CUB Supports Cool Schools Proposal
CUB supports the broad coalition to enact the Cool Schools proposal, which seeks to support school districts in making buildings more energy efficient.
- 2011 - CUB Protects Integrity of Universal Service Funds
CUB significantly increases its advocacy on behalf of low-income ratepayers by participating in over a dozen dockets related to the use of Universal Service Funds in Oregon. CUB actively works to make sure that any company that gets certified to provide these services will provide adequate customer service and service packages that will be valuable to customers.
- 2011 - Renewable Energy Standard Saved From Watering Down
CUB, along with its allies, successfully defeats proposals to water down the Renewable Energy Standard.
- 2011 - CUB Connects Project Launched
CUB Connects project is publicly launched with the creation of a search engine to help consumers compare prices and telecommunications products. CUB Connects is the result of funding won by CUB from the settlement of Qwest’s merger with CenturyLink in 2009.
- 2011 - Avista Rate Increase Lowered by $2.5 Million
CUB works to reduce Avista’s rate increase by $2.5 million.
- 2011 - NW Natural Customers Protected From Tax Related Surcharge
CUB gets NW Natural to withdraw its request that a $7.7 million surcharge be placed on customers’ bills to offset the utility’s higher tax burden.
- 2011 - CUB Helps Develop Plan for NW Natural Gas Price Stabilization
CUB helps develop a plan under which NW Natural will acquire a 30 year supply of natural gas at a fixed price for its customers as a way to avoid the wild volatility in natural gas prices.
- 2011 - CUB Helps Negotiate Landmark Hydro Power Agreement
CUB helps negotiate an agreement designed to end 30 years of litigation over the allocation of federal hydro power benefits among Northwest utilities. This agreement ends a fight that goes back to 1980 and allows the region to focus on the more serious concerns with our hydro power: protecting endangered salmon, integrating wind generation, and adapting to changes in snowpack due to climate change.
- 2010 - Frontier-Verizon Merger Conditions Benefit Customers
CUB works to attach conditions to the Frontier-Verizon merger which require Frontier to continue offering FIOS video and internet services, invest millions in broadband deployment, and protect service quality.
- 2010 - CUB Analysis Helps LNG Terminal Plan Get Rejected
CUB’s analysis of the economics on Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) concludes that it is not in the best interests of customers to build a LNG terminal in Oregon.
- 2010 - Avista Customers Secure Tax Overpayment Refund
CUB ensures that Avista’s customers get a $1 million refund relating to overpaying taxes.
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