Local Rep. Jami Cate and two other state representatives, all of whom represent communities severely impacted by wildfires, are bringing forward a bill in January asking the Legislature to ban a public utility from raising rates if they have unresolved wildfire lawsuits for three or more years.
The concept will be introduced by Cate, R-Lebanon, and co-chief sponsored by Representatives Virgle Osborne (R-Roseburg) and Ed Diehl (R-Stayton). They will introduce the bill during the Legislature’s Long Session, which started Jan. 15.
The U.S. government has filed a lawsuit against PacifiCorp, accusing the utility company of negligence related to the 2020 Archie Creek Wildfire in Douglas County. According
to the lawsuit, the company had a history of safety violations, including more than 250 vegetation clearance violations, and had “knowingly and intentionally operated insufficiently maintained power lines.”
PacifiCorp’s failure to properly maintain its equipment, including power lines, is believed to have
contributed to the Labor Day fires across the state, including sparking the Archie Creek Fire, which burned more than 130,000 acres – approximately half of which was federal land – during the devastating 2020 Labor Day wildfires.
There are still numerous outstanding liability lawsuits from victims of these fires around the state, including in the Santiam Canyon.
The federal government had asked PacifiCorp to pay for the costs associated with the Archie Creek Wildfire on March 15, 2023. However, as of Jan. 2, the company had not made any payments toward those costs.
“This inaction has prompted the federal lawsuit, as the government seeks full accountability for the damages caused by PacifiCorp’s negligence,” the representatives said in a statement announcing the bill.
The lawsuit comes just days after the Oregon Public Utilities Commission approved a 9.8% rate
increase for residential customers of Pacific Power. The rate hike, which went into effect Jan. 1,
will have raised rates nearly 50% since 2021. Pacific Power has yet to pay anything
towards its wildfire liabilities, according to the legislators’ statement.
“Pacific Power continues to shirk their responsibility in the devastating 2020 fires that ravaged our state,” Cate said. “I applaud the federal government for taking action to force financial restitution for the damages they incurred. It is now Oregon’s turn to put pressure on Pacific Power to finally own up to their liabilities, and stop the practice of rubber stamping historic rate hikes, finally ceasing the continued financial hardship of our wildfire victims.
“Inaction should not be our status quo when holding utility providers accountable.”