Investor Presentaiton
2-33-23-2
STA
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OREGON
THE UNION
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1859
ENERGY
LPRO: LEGISLATIVE POLICY AND RESEARCH OFFICE
BACKGROUND BRIEF
The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration (EIA) tracks energy
use in four broad categories: electricity, petroleum, natural gas, and coal across the
residential commercial, industrial, and transportation sectors. Oregon ranked 39th in the
nation, on a per capita basis, for total energy consumption in 2016 (the most recent year
for which data is available). Energy use in Oregon is distributed between transportation
(30.4 percent), residential (24.3 percent), industrial (26.1
percent), and commercial (19.2 percent).
Energy is a significant economic driver in both Oregon
and the United States. The EIA reports that Oregon spent
$11.79 billion on energy in 2016 (most recent data).1 The
Majority of the energy used by Oregonians comes from
hydroelectric sources. Energy planning efforts in Oregon
focus first on conservation and increased efficiency to
meet extra consumer demand, and then on increased
generation from local renewable and traditional sources.
ELECTRICITY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ELECTRICITY
ELECTRICITY GENERATION
AND CONSUMPTION
PETROLEUM
NATURAL GAS
ENERGY CONSERVATION AND
EFFICIENCY
In Oregon, electricity is sold through two types of utilities:
investor-owned utilities (IOUs) and consumer-owned
utilities (COUs). Three IOUS operate in Oregon and are
private companies regulated by the Oregon Public Utility
Commission (PUC): Portland General Electric (PGE), PacifiCorp (formerly Pacific
Power), and Idaho Power Company. The PUC regulates the retail rates charged by
IOUS to ensure that all customers are charged fair and reasonable rates, while the utility
earns a rate of return on its investments. The IOUS generate their own power, contract
for power from third-party producers, or purchase power from energy markets. COUS
are not regulated by the PUC, but are instead self-regulating, not-for-profit public
entities.
In addition to IOUS and COUS, there are electricity service suppliers (ESSs). An ESS is
a third-party entity that sells electricity services directly to more than one nonresidential
retail customer pursuant to a direct access tariff as authorized by Senate Bill 1149
(1999). The PUC must certify ESSs before they may enter into a direct access
1 U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration (EIA), State Energy Expenditure
Estimates, 2016
August 8, 2019
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