Pacific Power, Oregon's second-largest utility, is seeking a 17% rate increase for residential customers and businesses to generate $304 million for new renewable energy projects and transmission infrastructure investments, aiming to add these sources to the grid.
Tens of thousands of people in and around Portland are still without power after a powerful winter storm brought snow, ice, and high winds over the weekend, causing thousands of reported outages. At its peak, over 150,000 customers were affected, with more than 70,000 Portland General Electric customers and around 7,800 Pacific Power customers still in the dark on Monday morning. Crews are working to restore power, but some repairs may not happen until tomorrow. Residents are advised to prepare emergency kits and take precautions to prevent power surges and food spoilage during outages.