House Judiciary reviews bill that would bar Oregon PUC-regulated utilities from passing wildfire liability to ratepayers

The House Committee on Judiciary on May 15 took an extended work‑session briefing on Senate Bill 926 A, a measure that would stop Oregon’s Public Utility Commission‑regulated electric companies from recovering certain wildfire‑related costs in customer rates and would limit distributions while specified judgments remain unpaid.

Legislative staff summarized the bill for the committee. "Section 2 also prohibits an electric company from recovering those costs and expenses, or associated with repairing or replacing the real or personal property of the electric company that was damaged or destroyed in the wildfire that was resulted from the negligence or higher degree of fault on the part of the electric company," said Chris Alnatt, deputy legislative counsel. Marisa James, chief deputy legislative counsel, and Alnatt explained sections that also would bar dividends, stock repurchases and other distributions while an outstanding judgment based on a finding of negligence or higher degree of fault remains unpaid.

The bill’s provisions discussed by counsel include: a…