February 16, 2024 2:50 a.m.

Pacific Power has filed a general rate case and a Transition Adjustment Mechanism update with the Oregon Public Utility Commission.

A release from the utility said the combined rate actions would result in a 16.9 percent rate adjustment, or roughly $304 million, and would support continued investments in wildfire risk management strategies, transmission infrastructure and renewable generation projects.

The average residential customer with typical energy usage would see an increase of about $29.47 per month.

Pacific Power Vice President of Regulatory Policy and Operations Matt McVee said, “Through careful stewardship on behalf of our customers, we have delivered safe, reliable and affordable service at prices that are well below the national average”. McVee said, “While our essential operating costs remain low, extreme weather events and increased wildfire are impacting all households and businesses, raising the costs providing our essential services. We remain steadfast in our commitment to our customers and our communities and will continue to see new ways to reduce impacts to customer bills while making critical investments in the West’s energy grid”.

Key factors driving the rate request include:

*Wildfire risk management, including rapidly growing wildfire insurance premiums, wildfire mitigation and vegetation management and the creation of a catastrophic fire fund, which would create a mechanism to manage the risk associated with increased wildfire activity.

*Transmission infrastructure investments, which enable the integration of new renewable resources to serve growing customer needs.

*Continued investments in low-cost renewable energy resources.

*Cost of capital to finance utility operations and reflect current market conditions and risk.

For complete information about the proposal, go to: https://www.pacificpower.net/about/newsroom/news-releases.html