SB 1552 Ratepayer Protection Act

This bill is the Ratepayer Protection Act designed to cap costs for Oregon energy users and establish consistent policies aligned with keeping electric rates as low as possible.

Personal Choice and Responsibility
Protects ratepayers against monopoly abuses and assures PUC “protect the consumers from unjust and unreasonable extractions by establishing fair and reasonable rates.” (ORS 756)

Fiscal Responsibility
Prohibits a public utility from exceeding a 4.5 percent rate of return, and prohibits a utility’s Public Purpose Charge from exceeding 1.5 percent of utility customers’ costs and prohibits the gross collections, from Public Purpose Charges, from exceeding the 2016 total. It also limits salaries for Energy Trust of Oregon employees, essentially keeping them from being greater than the Governor’s salary.

Local Control
The final section of the bill would stop the collection of the Klamath Dam removal surcharge from ratepayers’ utility bills. A proposed amendment would direct the monies to be used for fish ladders or fish passage alternatives. This would aid in mitigating PacifiCorp’s main problem with FERC re-licensing requirements.