84th Legislative Assembly
Dear Members,
The new year is off to a great start. As always, West Oregon Electric Cooperative is working hard to keep your lights on. We’re also keeping an eye on the Oregon Legislature when it convenes this month for the 84th Legislative Assembly.
We expect 1 of the big issues this session to be funding the Oregon Department of Transportation. However, there are other issues we want to keep at the forefront, such as wildfire mitigation and the importance of our federal hydropower system.
We never stop planning for the next wildfire season, even in the winter. As in the last session, we will use this time in Salem to educate lawmakers about the uncertainty that comes with wildfire liability—and that the time has come for the state to recognize we need healthy forests and healthy utilities.
We also want to raise awareness of Oregon’s lawsuit against the federal hydropower system that supplies affordable, reliable electricity to our homes and businesses. Oregon’s lawsuit could raise rates by 22% and increase the chance of rolling blackouts by 30%, according to Northwest Requirement Utilities. It is disconcerting that the state would take this action after the last legislative assembly focused on keeping power bills affordable for Oregonians.
We thank our legislators for their service and look forward to working with them to advance policies that keep your electricity affordable and reliable.
Thank you,
General Manager Billi Kohler