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Pacific Power to host smart meter workshop for Pendleton area - 05/13/19

Media Contact:                                                           May 13, 2019 

Lisa Scholin, 503-320-9379                                        FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                

Pacific Power to host customer workshop for Pendleton area

Event will provide helpful information about Pacific Power’s metering upgrade and new features that can help save energy and money

 

PENDLETON, Ore. — As part of the rollout of smart meters in Eastern Oregon, Pacific Power is hosting a customer workshop to share information about the upgrade and help customers learn about new account features that can help them save more energy and money in the coming months. Smart meter installations are taking place in the region now through July and are part of a statewide rollout of 590,000 new meters which began in January 2018 and continues through 2019.

 

“Pacific Power has a 100-year history of serving local communities by powering our customers’ lives both at home and at work. We are upholding that commitment by upgrading our metering technology and helping our customers learn how the improvements we are making now will support them better in the future,” said Lori Wyman Pacific Power’s regional business manager for Eastern Oregon. “This event is an opportunity for customers to try out new tools which will offer greater insights into their energy usage and see how the new meters will help us deliver faster more responsive service.”

 

The workshop will begin with a presentation by Pacific Power, followed by an opportunity for customers to talk one-on-one with Pacific Power staff, gather information, and see demonstrations. Information on energy efficiency and renewable energy options will also be available. The event is free to attend, appetizers and drinks will be provided.

 

Pendleton Workshop – Tuesday, May 21 from 5:00-6:30 p.m.

Location: The Prodigal Son Brewery and Pub, 230 SE Court Ave., in Pendleton

 

Customers seeking additional information are encouraged to call 866-869-8520 for help with any questions. Additional smart meter information is available at www.pacificpower.net/smartmeter.

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About Pacific Power
Pacific Power provides electric service to more than 740,000 customers in Oregon, Washington, and California. The company works to meet growing energy demand while protecting and enhancing the environment. Pacific Power is part of PacifiCorp, one of the lowest-cost electricity producers in the United States, with 1.9 million customers in six western states Information about Pacific Power is available on the company’s website, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages, which can be accessed via www.pacificpower.net.

 

Pacific Power brings new metering technology to Eastern Oregon in May - 04/29/19

Media Contact:                                                           April 29, 2019

Pacific Power media line                                            FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

800-570-5838
 

Pacific Power brings new metering technology to Eastern Oregon in May

 

The new meters help shorten outages, provide daily usage data, and keep Oregon a leader in using clean, renewable energy.

 

PENDLETON, Ore. — Pacific Power is bringing more efficient and effective smart meters to residential and business customers in Eastern Oregon, replacing thousands of aging electric meters throughout the spring and summer.

 

About 22,000 new meters will be installed in Adams, Arlington, Athena, Boardman, Echo, Enterprise, Helix, Hermiston, Imnaha, Joseph, Lostine, Milton Freewater, Pendleton, Pilot Rock, Rieth, Stanfield, Umatilla, Wallow and Weston.

 

The installations are set to begin the week of May 13 and will continue until August. The project is part of a statewide rollout of 590,000 smart meters which began in January 2018 in Independence, Oregon.

 

“We’re installing smart meters here in Eastern Oregon as part of an upgrade for the homes and businesses we serve,” said Lori Wyman, Pacific Power’s regional business manager for Eastern Oregon. “Nearly two-thirds of our customers in Oregon are already enjoying the benefits of a smart meter, and we look forward to bringing this technology to our community.”

 

The new smart meters will:

 

  • Instantly track outages, meaning faster service response and shorter outages overall.
  • Let customers view their power usage hour-by-hour, so they can adjust their activity to reduce both their carbon footprint and bill.
  • Provide businesses with detailed usage reporting which will help them cut costs and make investments in items that help their businesses grow.
  • Update the grid to work more efficiently and better integrate renewable power sources.

 

Nationwide, more than 70 million smart meters are installed at homes and businesses, which includes half of all households in the U.S. Smart meters are a key component to updating the energy grid originally built for technology from 100 years ago. They also help Pacific Power hold down operating costs, improve customer service and reliability while maintaining the highest standards of security and customer privacy.

“This upgrade brings the future of reliable and efficient power to our region and to our state,” said Wyman. “We are connecting communities throughout Oregon, improving the way we power our customers’ lives both at home and at work.”

 

Access to daily energy usage information will be available to customers via a secure website. The near real-time energy usage information will let customers better understand what is driving their electric bills and help them make decisions that can save energy and money. This capability will come about six weeks after a new meter is installed.

 

Here’s what customers can expect during the installation process:

 

  • Customers will be notified before installation through the mail and will receive detailed information about the new smart meters. Reminder calls will be made to customers as their scheduled installation date approaches.

 

  • Pacific Power’s authorized installer, Aclara, will arrive between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. to make installations. Installers will drive vehicles and carry badges that identify them as an authorized contractor of Pacific Power. Unless an electric meter is inside, they will not need to enter customer homes or businesses. There is no charge for the installation or the meter.

 

  • During the installation, Pacific Power technicians will remove the old meter, install the new meter, restore service and verify the new meter is working properly. This process will require a brief power outage (less than five minutes). The technicians will leave a door hanger to let customers know they were there, and successfully installed the new smart meter.
     
  • Pacific Power will manually read the newly installed smart meters for at least one month to confirm everything is working correctly. After confirmation activities are complete in the area, meter reading will happen remotely.
     
  • Approximately six weeks following the installation when all area installs are complete, customers can sign in to their Pacific Power account to access the newly available usage data. Customers can sign up for their web account here.

 

If customers have any concerns, have not received the proper series of notices or have any reason to think a notification is not legitimate, customers should hang up and call Pacific Power’s customer service at 1-800-221-7070 immediately to verify whether they are scheduled for an installation.

 

Additional information, including installation updates are available at www.pacificpower.net/smartmeter. Customers can also call 866-869-8520 for help with any questions.

 

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About Pacific Power
Pacific Power provides electric service to more than 740,000 customers in Oregon, Washington and California. The company works to meet growing energy demand while protecting and enhancing the environment. Pacific Power is part of PacifiCorp, one of the lowest-cost electricity producers in the United States, with 1.9 million customers in six western states Information about Pacific Power is available on the company’s website, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages, which can be accessed via pacificpower.net.

 

PacifiCorp updates economic analysis of coal fleet - 04/25/19

Contact:

(800) 570-5838

 

                                                         April 25, 2019

 

 

PacifiCorp updates economic analysis of coal fleet

Updated study will inform broader resource plan development

 

Portland, Ore., April 25, 2019 – PacifiCorp has released an updated economic study of its coal fleet that will inform how the company meets the long-term customer energy needs of its customers.

 

The study was conducted as part of the company’s 2019 Integrated Resource Plan, which is still under development and anticipated to be completed in August. The IRP, which is updated every two years, identifies actions the company anticipates taking over the next 20 years to provide reliable and least-cost electricity to customers.

 

The study reviewed coal units that are part of PacifiCorp’s broader resource mix to determine if customers would benefit from closing a unit or combination of units earlier than currently planned. Most of the company’s coal units will reach the end of their depreciable lives at different points over the next 20 years.

 

While no resource decision will be made ahead of completion of the 2019 IRP, the study identified potential benefits for customers through early retirement of some coal units.

 

“We continuously examine the costs and benefits of how the company generates electricity to ensure we are making the best decisions for customers,” said Rick Link, PacifiCorp vice president of resource planning and acquisitions. “The study reflects the ongoing changing economics for coal driven by market forces.”

 

For purposes of the study, the company examined whether customers would benefit if units are retired as early as 2022 and replaced with other resources. The timing and sequencing of any actual coal unit closures will ultimately be determined by a range of factors that also include workforce and community transition considerations.

 

The units the study identifies as being less economic to operate beyond 2022 than alternatives and are candidates for early retirement are:

 

  • Naughton Units 1 and 2 in Wyoming.
  • Jim Bridger Units 1 and 2 in Wyoming. PacifiCorp is a majority owner and the operator of these units.

Next steps. The company anticipates issuing a preferred portfolio for input from regulators and stakeholders before submitting a final plan to state regulators in August.

 

The company will also work to ensure communities and employees that would be affected by the potential early plant closures are informed and involved in the process.

 

“We understand the impact of these resource decisions on customers, employees and communities and are committed to ensuring these impacts are known and planned for,” said Link.

 

The completed coal unit analysis can be seen through the following link

http://www.pacificorp.com/es/irp.html