Legislature takes up plan to shield Oregon consumers from data centers’ power costs
PGE’s Shute Substation in North Hillsboro. Oregon data centers are expected to draw at least twice as much power by the end of the decade. Regulators and consumer advocates warn that consumers might help foot the bill for building new power plants, transmission lines and substations to serve them. Sean Meagher/The Oregonian
Oregon lawmakers began considering a bill Thursday designed to protect households from the costs of building new transmission lines and generators to power the state’s enormous data center industry.
Data center power consumption is soaring across Oregon, growing much faster than the state’s generation and transmission capacity. Utilities are drawing up plans to boost capacity, but state regulators warn that under existing law, some of the costs could be shared by residential ratepayers.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.