Oregon data centers will see higher bills, while PGE customers will save more
The Oregon Public Utility Commission has approved new electricity rates for Portland General Electric. While residential and small business customers will see a slight decrease in their bills, data centers in Oregon will experience a nearly 30% increase in their power costs. This change is a result of the Power Act, a state law passed last year to protect families and small businesses from bearing the costs of grid upgrades driven by large data centers.
The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) has approved new rates for Portland General Electric (PGE) customers, effective tomorrow, with bill reductions starting next month. The decision means residential customers will see a 1.3% decrease, translating to just under $2 savings per month, and small businesses will experience a 3.7% drop.
Conversely, data centers in Oregon will face a significant nearly 30% increase in their electricity bills. A PGE spokesperson stated this aligns with their commitment to support economic growth while ensuring customers driving growth, like data centers, pay their fair share for system upgrades. This rate adjustment follows the Oregon legislature's passage of the Power Act last year, a first-in-the-nation law designed to protect families and small businesses from covering the expensive grid upgrades necessitated by large data centers.