Rural electric cooperatives urge state benchmarks, funding for wildfire mitigation; trial lawyers press accountability

Representatives of Oregon’s electric cooperatives told the House Judiciary Committee that rising wildfire risk and mitigation costs require clear state benchmarks and a conversation about funding, while lawyers for fire victims urged preserving accountability and said a commission or compensation fund should be considered later.

Tucker Billman, director of government relations for the Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association (ORECA), told the committee that Oregon’s 18 not-for-profit electric cooperatives serve about 10% of the state’s electricity customers — roughly 500,000 Oregonians — mostly in rural, higher-fire-risk territory. Billman said co-ops do not have shareholders, operate at cost, and that the cost of wildfire mitigation is passed to members. He told the committee cooperatives need state guidance on when wildfire mitigation is “sufficient” so they can balance member…