House Bill 2475 — The Oregon
Energy Affordability Act
by Damon Motz-Storey, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility
As the Spring unfolds and the 2021 Oregon Legislative Session draws
close to an end, an important piece of legislation is poised to make paying
the bills easier for low-income Oregonians. House Bill 2475, the Oregon
Energy Affordability Act, has passed the Oregon House of Representatives
and is expected to receive a vote in the Oregon Senate soon. If lawmakers
approve it, HB 2475 would allow the Oregon Public Utility Commission to
consider differential energy burden and the inequities of affordability in
setting energy rates. Put simply, the state would have the ability to ensure
that Oregonians struggling to make ends meet do not pay more than their
fair share on energy bills.
Burdensome energy bills have been an issue for Oregonians since long
before the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting economic shockwaves. In
rural parts of the state such as the South Coast and Eastern Oregon there
are some counties where 30–52% of low-income households were paying
disproportionately high energy bills before the pandemic (for some, this
means spending 20% or more of monthly income on heating, cooling, and
electricity). Furthermore, funding for participation in Public Utility
Commission proceedings has been limited to groups that represent broad
energy consumers’ interests, meaning that low-income, BIPOC, and
working class Oregonians have not had advocates pushing state agencies
on behalf of their energy interests.
HB 2475 is poised to make a difference: it would allow environmental
justice stakeholders to receive intervenor funding for participating in energy
decision making processes at the Public Utility Commission while allowing
for energy rate designs that hold low-income Oregonians to a reasonable
standard. That means more money in families’ pockets for food, medicine,
and other everyday needs. It also means that low-income customers will
have protections against any rate increases associated with residential
solar projects or building electrification.
Contact your State Senator today and tell them to vote ‘yes’ on House Bill 2475, the Oregon Energy Affordability Act: bit.ly/2475_SEN
