Portland General Electric wants to raise rates again - Fox 12 Oregon
Portland General Electric wants to raise rates again
PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - Portland General Electric (PGE) on Thursday requested a rate review with the Oregon Public Utility Commission.
The utility company said in a statement that it wants to raise customers’ rate by an additional 7.4% in 2025 so that it can make investments in battery storage and other infrastructure improvements.
“To achieve the day-to-day reliability that customers expect while simultaneously solving for the challenges of the future, Portland General Electric is deploying battery energy storage technology to modernize and strengthen the grid,” said Larry Bekkedahl, senior vice president of strategy and advanced energy delivery. “We are focused on delivering reliable electricity to customers while keeping the cost as low as possible.”
This comes just after the utility raised customers rates by 18% at the start of the year.
PGE’s rate increase in 2022 was 8%, and in 2023 it was nearly 9%. The 18% increase in 2024 plus the proposed 7.4% increase in 2025 means a more than 42% increase in total since 2021.
PGE serves over 930,000 customers in Oregon.
PGE customers we spoke to recently said raising utility costs are adding to the stress of the already-rising rents and groceries.
“Everybody I know is struggling to pay their rent right now, like everybody I know,” Pratt said. “There’s rich people, poor people, all in between, unable to make payments on what their house is.”
“The cost is very prohibitive for people just to have a life that they enjoy even, not just surviving,” Andre added.
The Oregon Energy Trust recommends a few methods to save on energy:
- Install LED bulbs in your most frequently used lights to save the most on energy costs—kitchens and bathrooms are a great place to start. Look for the Energy Trust logo at participating retailers.
- Turn off lights when not needed and use motion sensors for outdoor lighting.
- Unplug battery chargers for mobile phones, tablets, laptops and other devices when not in use—they use energy even when they’re not actively charging anything.
- Group office and entertainment equipment on easily accessible power strips that can be switched off.
PGE offers rebates and incentives for energy efficiency, which you can learn more about here.
You can also find more resources for saving energy and bill assistance from the Oregon Energy Trust here.
FOX 12 has reached out to the Oregon Public Utility Commission for comment.
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