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Oregon PUC outlines rate‑setting process, cites wildfire mitigation and wholesale power costs as major drivers
Summary
Nolan Moser, executive director of the Oregon Public Utility Commission, told the House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection on Feb. 20 that the commission’s contested rate cases and rising costs for wildfire mitigation, wholesale power and grid replacement are driving recent utility rate increases.
Nolan Moser, executive director of the Oregon Public Utility Commission, told the House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection on Feb. 20 that the commission’s rate‑setting work centers on balancing utilities’ need to recover prudent costs with consumer protections for affordability, safety and reliability.
Moser outlined the PUC’s authority and process for general rate cases, described recent organizational changes intended to better align planning and rates work with customer affordability, and identified wildfire mitigation, rising wholesale power prices and an aging grid as major reasons for recent utility rate increases.
The commission, Moser said, is the economic regulator for investor‑owned electric, natural gas, small telecom and some water utilities in Oregon. “Our commissioners act as judges in certain matters, and…
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