US EditionBill to Shield PGE, Pacific Power Customers From Data Center Costs Passes OR House
- Oregon's legislature passed House Bill 3546, the POWER Act, on Thursday, June 5, 2025, aimed at data center energy costs.
- The bill arose from rising electricity rates approved since 2020, including a 5.5% hike for PGE and nearly 10% for Pacific Power in December 2024.
- The POWER Act creates a new customer class for large data centers, requiring them to sign 10-year contracts to cover grid expansion, shielding residential customers.
- Rep. Pam Marsh said the bill focuses on energy users with massive grid impact, while union leader Johnny Earl called it a matter of fairness for families and small businesses.
- The legislation, expected to be signed by Gov. Tina Kotek, aims to prevent utilities from passing data center infrastructure costs onto consumers amid soaring demand.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Bill shielding Oregonians from utility rate increases by Big Tech heads to Kotek
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A bill passed the Oregon legislature on Thursday, aiming to shield Oregonians from taking on increased utility rates from Big Tech facilities in the state. House Bill 3546, known as the Protecting Oregonians With Energy Responsibility (POWER) Act, would hold companies behind facilities such as data centers or cryptocurrency operations, responsible for their own utility bills, If signed into law, the bill would create a se…
Oregon Legislature passes ‘POWER Act,’ targeting industrial energy users like data centers
House Bill 3546, known as the POWER Act, is now headed to Gov. Tina Kotek’s desk. It could lead to higher rates for industrial electricity customers that currently pay much less per kilowatt hour than residential customers.
Bill to protect residential electricity customers from subsidizing data center demand moves forward
Oregon is close to ensuring data center owners pay what they owe for their growth following several years of painful residential electricity hikes driven in part by rising energy demand from the facilities. House Bill 3546, also called the POWER…
Oregon lawmakers pass bill to ensure data centers cover their own energy costs
Oregon lawmakers approved legislation Thursday designed to ensure data centers bear the full burden of their electricity demands, insulating consumers and other industries from potential impacts on rates.
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