The Governor’s Lawsuit Will Raise Your Electric Bill
Hello Emerald Customers,
I’m writing this month about an important issue that will directly affect your electric bill.
On February 25, a federal judge ordered changes to how the hydroelectric dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers operate. The ruling requires more water to be spilled over the dams rather than flowing through the turbines that generate electricity. The result is less clean, less affordable power for the region.
The State of Oregon, led by the Governor’s Office, was a lead plaintiff in this case. This was not something that just hap-pened to us. It was a deliberate choice by our own state government, made without consulting the consumer-owned utilities whose customers will pay the price.
The impact is significant. Preliminary analysis shows at least a 6-7% increase in what we pay the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) for wholesale power, on top of a roughly 10% BPA increase that took effect just six months ago. That’s a combined 16% jump in our wholesale power costs in under a year. This latest court ruling alone will add $2-3 million per year to EPUD’s costs, and we’ll have no choice but to pass that through to you. For the average residential customer, the impact of this court ruling could add $50 to $100 per year to your residential bill.
This comes at a time when the Pacific Northwest is already struggling to keep up with growing electricity demand, and there is no realistic plan to replace the generation we’re losing.
Meanwhile, consumer-owned utilities across this region have spent decades and billions of dollars on salmon recovery, and it’s working. Returns above Bonneville Dam have tripled since the first federal dam went into service. The answer is not to weaken our largest source of clean energy and replace it with dirtier, more expensive alternatives.
A coalition of 38 Oregon consumer-owned utilities, EPUD among them, has twice written to the Governor’s Office asking to discuss these impacts. Neither letter received a response.
On March 17, EPUD’s Board of Directors passed Resolution 2026-09, formally opposing the State’s involvement in this litigation and directing me to communicate these facts to you. I’ve also recorded a video and posted a longer article on our website at www.epud.org/gm with additional details on this topic.
EPUD will continue to advocate on your behalf. If you’d like to help, I encourage you to contact your elected officials in Salem and let them know how these decisions are affecting you.
Please stay safe,
Kyle Roadman
EPUD General Manager