Oregon

Legislative activities

Oregon’s state legislature established the Oregon Energy Trust as part of the electric utility restructuring in 1999. (SB 1149) The Oregon Energy Trust provides funds to support renewable at a rate of 17.1% of the funds collected by the trust. The legislature also previously developed laws that allow for contractual methods for entering into solar easements in 1979 and wind easements in 1981. [2, 3]

Regulatory activities

By 2007, the Oregon Public Utilities Commission had approved rates for distributed generation and dealt with net metering for customers of multiple sizes. Time-of-Day rates were established through the Commission by 2006. They also approved demand side management programs by 2007. [4, 5]

“In May 2008, the Oregon Public Utility Commission approved Portland General Electric’s (PGE) plan to deploy over 850,000 smart meters, with deployment being completed by 2010. PGE has indicated that it expects to use the smart meters, which will be fully deployed by 2010, to facilitate future demand response and direct-load-control programs. It also anticipates creating a web portal through which customers using the smart meters can access information about their daily energy consumption.” [1]

Distributed generation include qualifying cogeneration, small power production facilities, standby generation, and net metering facilities. The price for power is either contracted for with the utility based on the avoided cost or in the case of net metering the energy is carried forward for the next bill.

Time-of-Day rates include critical peak pricing rates. Time-of Day break the cost for electricity into on-peak or off-peak priced energy while critical peak pricing breaks the cost for electricity into seasonal periods with energy priced according to off-peak, on-peak, or a company directed critical peak.

Demand side management includes load reduction programs and an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI Project) meter based repair program. A load reduction program requires customer to reduce usage below baseline usage with 30 minutes notice provided by the company. For the AMI project meter based repair, company provided AMI meters are repaired by the company.

Utilities and Rate Schedules

Idaho Power
- Idaho Power Rates

Pacific Power
- Pacific Power Rates

Portland General Electric
- Portland General Electric Rates

See the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) for information on consumer-owned Cooperatives: http://www.nreca.org/members/MemberDirectory/Pages/default.aspx

State-Level Incentives

Oregon offers tax credits and exemptions for solar at the corporate and personal levels. The state also has loaning programs and utility rebates for the same, and a feed-in-tariff for solar.

More information can be found in the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE): http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/index.cfm?re=1&ee=1&spv=0&st=0&srp=1&state=OR

Additional Resources

State Energy Office:
- Oregon Department of Energy

State Authority Dealing with Energy Regulation:
- Public Utilities Commission
- Docket Search: http://apps.puc.state.or.us/edockets/search.asp

Oregon Revised Statutes

Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE): http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/index.cfm?re=1&ee=1&spv=0&st=0&srp=1&state=OR

References

[1] Demand Response and Smart Metering Policy Actions Since the Energy Policy Act of 2005: A Summary for State Officials, Prepared by the U.S. Demand Response Coordinating Committee for The National Council on Electricity Policy, Fall 2008. URL: http://www.oe.energy.gov/DocumentsandMedia/NCEP_Demand_Response_1208.pdf
[2] Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, Oregon Energy Trust, 08/11/2009. URL: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=OR05R&re=1&ee=1
[3] Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, Oregon Solar and Wind Access Laws, 01/07/2010. URL: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=OR02R&re=1&ee=1
[4] Idaho Power, Retail Tariffs in Oregon. URL: http://www.idahopower.com/AboutUs/RatesRegulatory/Tariffs/default.cfm?state=or
[5] Portland General Electric, Rate Schedules. URL: httphttp://www.portlandgeneral.com/our_company/corporate_info/regulatory_documents/tariff/rate_schedules.aspx