The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) recently finalized the last of several rate-related filings submitted by Pacific Power leading to an overall increase in customer rates to be in full effect as of today.
PUC officials said the increase stems from an annual adjustment for power costs, which are markedly higher due to market volatility as well as various additional Pacific Power rate filings, some that increased and others that decreased rates.
Overall, customer rates will increase with the exact bill impact differing based on customer type and energy usage. There will be a 12.9% average increase in revenue from residential customers, a 12.1% increase in revenues from small commercial business owners, and a 16.7% average increase from large commercial and industrial customers.
For a single-family residence using the average 900 kilowatts per month, monthly bills will increase by $14.92.
Officials said drivers for the increase include an annual adjustment for power supply costs, which is a pass-through cost of Pacific Power purchasing electricity to meet customer demand. Power costs have risen sharply and increased in volatility in the Western electricity market. There was also an increase due to costs for wildfire mitigation actions taken by the company among other adjustments.
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