More Accomplishments

2016 - BES Ratepayers Benefit from Sale of Terminal 1

Portland City Council upends several previous decisions about selling an industrial riverfront property called Terminal 1, which would have maintained its industrial zoning, and decides instead to rent it to a private party for a homeless shelter. CUB is all for providing this kind of shelter, but due diligence about the Terminal 1 proposal seems lacking and it’s not clear that BES would get a decent rental rate. The rental issue does get addressed, and BES customers benefit from the sale, but the shelter project ends up falling though, unfortunately confirming that the original idea was not adequately vetted.

2016 - Gas Utilities Get Less Than They Want

Avista Utilities and Cascade Natural Gas, both gas utilities which serve much of southern and eastern Oregon, both come in requesting large general rate increases. CUB works with other parties and successfully slashes these rate hikes. Avista’s rate hike is cut in half and Cascade’s is reduced by more than 60%.

2016 - CUB Policy Conference Sees Highest Attendance To Date

Over 235 people turn out for CUB’s 6th annual energy policy conference, The Future Starts Now, at the Downtown Portland Hilton. This day of dynamic debate and conversation covers a wide range of energy policy issues currently facing the Pacific NW’s utility industry. As in past years, panels and attendees include industry leaders from many utilities, environmental, renewable, and scientific organizations, the PUC, DOE, and DOJ. The Inaugural Consumer Champion Award is given to Margie Harris, founding Executive Director (retired) of the Energy Trust of Oregon, in honor of her industry leadership, policy innovation, and public service on behalf of Oregon utility customers.

2016 - PUC Agrees That PGE Is Misguided About Gas Reserves

CUB leads a fight against PGE’s proposal to invest millions of ratepayer dollars into natural gas reserves which can be drilled to supply fuel for PGE’s power plants AND Wins! We effectively argue that PGE’s proposal would commit customers to more than 30 years of gas drilling and production risk – and that gas drilling is much riskier than running a utility. We successfully contend that as climate change regulation threatens the economics of fossil fuels, buying untapped reserves of fossil fuels seems misguided.

2016 - Digital Inclusion Network Incorporates CUB Advocacy for Internet Customers

After a year and a half of collaboration, CUB and other partners in the greater Portland Metro area form a Digital Inclusion Network (DIN) to deliberate ways to increase digital equity and access (specifically broadband and other forms of internet service), eventually compiling strategies together into a Digital Equity Action Plan (DEAP). In Spring 2016, The City of Portland and Multnomah County each pass DEAP resolutions with the aid of testimony and advocacy from CUB and other DIN partners, thereby ensuring that internet customers in the region will have a dedicated coalition of advocates working to further their interests into the future.

2016 - CUB Gains Another Win on Pensions

CUB reprises our 2015 victory where the PUC ruled against most of Oregon’s utilities wanting to raise rates to allow the utility shareholders to earn a profit off of their employee pensions. This year PGE is back, asking the PUC to allow it to raise rate by $18 million in order to recover pension expenses incurred in 2012 and 2013. CUB objects, pointing out that between 1997 and 2004, the Company overcharged customers for pension expense by $84 million. The Commission rules in our favor and PGE’s request is denied.

2016 - Oregon Clean Electricity & Coal Transition Legislation Passes Into Law

CUB plays a critical role in negotiating with a disparate group of utility, environmental, and renewable stakeholders to pass the Oregon Clean Electricity & Coal Transition Act. This legislation phases out the use of coal-fired electricity by 2035, and increases use of renewable energy to 50% by 2040. Analysis of the legislation projects minimal impact on customer rates. By reducing carbon emissions, we protect customers from the high costs associated with carbon regulation and air quality requirements, while still keeping rates affordable.

2015 - CUB Wins Monthly Billing Option for Portland Utility Customers

Most residential customers in Portland historically received quarterly bills for water and wastewater services. These can be tough for many folks to manage. CUB argues for a monthly billing option in 2015 and now customers can choose which billing model works best for them.

2015 - City Council Implements CUB Recommendations for Utility Oversight

In 2014, Mayor Hales and Commissioner Fish launched the Utility Oversight Blue Ribbon Commission, where CUB’s Janice Thompson occupied an influential seat. The Commission offered several recommendations, and CUB makes sure in 2015 that City Council adopts them. For instance, a new Portland Utility Board (PUB) replaces long ignored internal oversight groups. The PUB has its own staff and does not rely on analysis from the utilities it monitors.

2015 - Public Purpose Funds Protected From Appropriation for EV Infrastructure

The 2015 Legislative session features an attempt to appropriate funds earmarked for energy efficiency and small-scale renewables (through the Public Purpose Charge, established by CUB and other advocates in 2002) in a vague proposal to support electric vehicle infrastructure. CUB supports the growth of the electric vehicle sector, but not at the expense of other essential programs. CUB helps defeat this proposal, protecting Oregon’s public purpose funds in the process.

2015 - Imprudent Gas Investment by NW Natural Not Charged to Customers

NW Natural, thinking they can make a higher profit than by just purchasing natural gas on the market, invests in gas drilling, but the wells are expensive and don’t perform as well as the company forecasted. CUB argues that NW Natural’s investment is imprudent because the company failed to adequately consider the risk, and the company agrees to eat the cost of the imprudence by adjusting prices down to reflect the price of a gas purchase available in the market. The resulting settlement saves customers $14.7 million.

2015 - Cascade Rate Hike Reduced by Over 80 Percent

Cascade Natural Gas requests a rate increase of $3.6 million in 2016. CUB’s work on this case amounts to Cascade’s rate increase being reduced by over 80% to less than $1 million.

2015 - CUB Advocacy Yields Small Decrease in PGE Customer Rates

PGE requests two rate increases in 2016, totaling $66 million. CUB is able to get this number reduced by over 70% to just $17.8 million. This equates to a small decrease in rates in January 2016, followed by an increase later in the year.

2015 - PacifiCorp Coal Plant Closures Mean Customer Savings

Pacific Power uses CUB’s coal plant closure analysis methodology in its 2015 IRP and finds that it can avoid significant investment in coal plant retrofits by shuttering three plants. Closing Wyodak, Cholla, and Dave Johnston 3 will save customers $450 million.

2015 - Victory for Customers in Utility Pensions Case

In August 2015 CUB wraps up a multi-year proceeding with the conclusion of the Utility Pensions docket. Oregon’s major utilities (PGE, Pacific Power, Cascade Natural Gas, Avista, and NW Natural) want to earn a profit on pension contributions, and by thoroughly analyzing years of pensions data, CUB is able to demonstrate that there is no basis for charging customers to achieve this goal. Our victory in this case will save consumers more than $20 million per year in perpetuity.

2014 - CUB Wins Concessions in CenturyLink Price Plan Settlement

CUB wins significant concessions from Centurylink in the 2014 settlement of their proposed price plan.
- The Company agrees to explicit pricing caps for basic residential phone service
- The Company agrees to place limits on pricing increases permitted for other phone-related services such as call waiting and caller ID
- The Company agrees to invest $650,000 in network improvements for customers, including $50,000 allocated to the CUB Connects project

2014 - Customers Saved From PacifiCorp Coal Oversupply Charge

Pacific Power over-commits to a coal supply at its Naughton Unit 3 coal plant, and attempts to charge customers $8 million to pay for its mistake. The company originally proposed stopping the use of coal at Naughton 3 in 2015, but because it already purchased the coal for that plant, it proposes that customers should pay to have that coal shipped to another plant. At the same time, Pacific Power tries to get Wyoming and the EPA to allow it to keep burning coal at Naughton 3 until 2017. CUB opposes this $8 million charge, and makes its case successfully: Pacific Power agrees to remove the cost and not charge it to customers.

2014 - Renewable Energy Standard Wins 4-Year Protection Settlement

In early 2014, CUB - working with Renewable NW, NW Energy Coalition and others - negotiates a settlement of a dispute over the Renewable Energy Standard (RES) that avoids a ballot measure fight. CUB also ensures that the RES will not be a legislative issue for the next 4 years.

2014 - CUB Analysis Helps Reduce PGE Rate Increase by Two-Thirds

PGE requests three rate increases for 2015: one small increase in January, followed by two larger increases when its new wind farm and its new gas plant are scheduled to begin serving customers. The total amount of its request is $81.5 million. Through extensive negotiations and testimony, CUB helps secure a substantial reduction to PGE’s request, by approximately 2/3, or $64 million.

2014 - PUC Declines to Acknowledge Pollution Controls at Jim Bridger & Hunter Plants

The Public Utility Commission (PUC) agrees with CUB’s testimony in its verdict on Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs) proposed by Pacific Power and Idaho Power when it refuses to acknowledge pollution control investments for two generating units at Jim Bridger coal plant in WY (co-owned by both companies) as well as Pacific Power’s Hunter coal plant in Utah. This decision signals that both companies must improve their resource modeling and consider phase-out as an alternative to pollution controls, in order to make sound resource decisions.

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