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Committee hears wide support for bill to keep utilities' lobbying, marketing and trade-association costs out of customer rates
Summary
Senate Bill 88 would create a presumption that certain utility costs are unjust and unreasonable and bar recovery from ratepayers for those costs; proponents urged transparency and stronger penalties, utilities warned the Public Utility Commission already has authority and raised reporting cost concerns.
The Senate Committee on Rules on Monday held a public hearing on Senate Bill 88 and its dash-3 amendment, a measure that would create a presumption that certain costs and expenses incurred by electric and natural gas utilities — including lobbying, certain marketing and trade-association dues — are unjust and unreasonable and therefore not recoverable from ratepayers.
Jennifer Hillhart, Policy and Program Director at the Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board, told the committee the current rate-making process gives utilities the advantage in deciding what to include in a general rate case and that incremental costs can accumulate and be approved without easy public scrutiny. "Senate Bill 88 acknowledges that the customer is not centered in the rate making process to the detriment of fairness for customers," Hillhart said.
Energy justice and…
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