Utilities barred from shutting off Oregonians power during heat waves
Utilities barred from shutting off Oregonians power during heat waves
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Portland General Electric, Pacific Power and Idaho Power cannot turn off residential customers’ electricity for nonpayment during a heat wave under temporary rules adopted by the Oregon Public Utility Commission.
“The commission approved these rules to help ensure customers of the utilities we regulate will not lose power during dangerous heat events,” Letha Tawney, chair of the commission, said in a prepared statement. “These are critical steps to protect our most vulnerable neighbors and are timely as Oregon is already experiencing the first heat events of the summer.”
The rule is in place through Oct. 25.
The rules will be in place 24 hours before a heat event, as declared by the National Weather Service, and for 48 hours after it.
The rules also apply during a local air quality alert; residential power can’t be disconnected for 24 hours after an air quality alert.
Once the heat event is over, and the grace period has passed, the power companies will be allowed to resume disconnections due to nonpayment.
Under the rule, residents whose power is disconnected up to seven days before the heat event can be reconnected once the heat event begins.
The reconnection fees will be waived for account holders with a medical certificate or participants in discount programs.
The utilities are required to inform eligible customers so they can be reconnected to power.
According to the Oregon Citizens Utility Board, a non-profit that advocates for customers, nearly 58,000 customers of the three investor-owned power utilities were disconnected in 2024 due to nonpayment.
Pacific Power has about 627,000 customers in Oregon, including Dallas, Independence, Stayton, Albany, Corvallis and Lincoln City, as well as much of Portland, Pendleton and a large part of southern Oregon, including Roseburg, Grants Pass and Medford.
Portland General Electric serves about 2 million Oregonians in cities such as Salem, Silverton, Woodburn, Newberg and Portland.
Bill Poehler covers Marion and Polk County for the Statesman Journal. Contact him at bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com