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News Release

PUC Approves PGE Rate Updates Resulting In Higher Bills For Data Centers, Lower Bills For Other Customers - 07/07/26

SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) has approved Portland General Electric’s updated rates and select terms of service, a decision that will increase bills for data centers while lowering bills for residential, commercial, and other industrial customers starting July 8.

 

The approved updates carry out requirements from a previous Commission order directing PGE to assign certain costs to data centers to implement House Bill 3546 (2025), known as the POWER Act. The decision impacts about 963,000 customers across PGE’s service territory.

 

With the approved change, PGE data center customers will see an average 29 percent increase in rates. Residential customers will see an average 1.3 percent decrease, commercial customers will see an average 2.1 percent decrease, and other industrial customers an average 1.4 percent decrease. A typical residential customer using 780 kilowatt-hours will save about $1.91 each month.

 

PGE submitted its filing on June 3 to comply with the order that followed the Commission’s investigation into the treatment of large-load customers and established new rate structures for data centers under the POWER Act. The legislation and corresponding Commission order help to ensure that the fast-growing electricity needs of data centers served by PGE do not unfairly increase utility bills for households and small businesses. During the review of this filing and supplemental filings submitted June 30 and July 2, PUC staff and stakeholders verified that the proposed changes were consistent with the Commission’s order.

 

“These changes ensure that costs created by data centers in PGE’s territory are more accurately reflected in their rates,” said Commission Chair Letha Tawney. “By putting this structure in place now,  we are getting ahead of a bigger issue, enabling responsible data centers to pay their own way, and protecting customers from higher costs in the future.”

 

The Commission approval includes new rates for data centers, updated terms of service for large customers, a new charge that helps fund targeted energy assistance programs, and updates to rules that govern how new large customers connect to PGE’s system.

 

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Docket: UM 2377

PUC Approves PGE Rate Updates Resulting In Higher Bills For Data Centers, Lower Bills For Other Customers - 07/07/26

SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) has approved Portland General Electric’s updated rates and select terms of service, a decision that will increase bills for data centers while lowering bills for residential, commercial, and other industrial customers starting July 8.

 

The approved updates carry out requirements from a previous Commission order directing PGE to assign certain costs to data centers to implement House Bill 3546 (2025), known as the POWER Act. The decision impacts about 963,000 customers across PGE’s service territory.

 

With the approved change, PGE data center customers will see an average 29 percent increase in rates. Residential customers will see an average 1.3 percent decrease, commercial customers will see an average 2.1 percent decrease, and other industrial customers an average 1.4 percent decrease. A typical residential customer using 780 kilowatt-hours will save about $1.91 each month.

 

PGE submitted its filing on June 3 to comply with the order that followed the Commission’s investigation into the treatment of large-load customers and established new rate structures for data centers under the POWER Act. The legislation and corresponding Commission order help to ensure that the fast-growing electricity needs of data centers served by PGE do not unfairly increase utility bills for households and small businesses. During the review of this filing and supplemental filings submitted June 30 and July 2, PUC staff and stakeholders verified that the proposed changes were consistent with the Commission’s order.

 

“These changes ensure that costs created by data centers in PGE’s territory are more accurately reflected in their rates,” said Commission Chair Letha Tawney. “By putting this structure in place now,  we are getting ahead of a bigger issue, enabling responsible data centers to pay their own way, and protecting customers from higher costs in the future.”

 

The Commission approval includes new rates for data centers, updated terms of service for large customers, a new charge that helps fund targeted energy assistance programs, and updates to rules that govern how new large customers connect to PGE’s system.

 

# # #

 

Docket: UM 2377