Utility Rate Case Updates

We formally filed a rate case with the Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) on December 29, 2025. The filing initiates a regulatory review process to evaluate proposed changes to water utility rates.

What this means: Under Oregon law, a regulated utility may propose to change rates for service with the PUC at any time. This filing must clearly define the effects and justification for the proposed change.

For a general rate proceeding (that proposes a change in all rates), the PUC will conduct up to a year-long investigation into the filing to determine if any changes in rates are warranted by evaluating many components of the proposed cost – such as the cost of labor, purchased energy, and the cost of capital. Commissioners base their decision on the analysis and information provided, and evidence brought forth in the evidentiary hearing process.

In most major rate cases, the Commission holds two types of public hearings:

1. Evidentiary Hearings – the utility, PUC staff, and intervenors are permitted to provide testimony and cross-examine witnesses in the case. The Oregon Citizen’s Utility Board (CUB), an established intervenor, acts on behalf of residential customers, while the Alliance of Western Energy Consumers (AWEC) represents large energy users in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.
2. Public Comment Hearings – this event provides the opportunity for utility customers to comment on a proposed rate change before the Commissioners. Customers may also submit comments by email

Rate Case Filing: