Three Oregon lawmakers have announced their plans to introduce a bill that would prevent utilities from raising rates if they have unresolved wildfire lawsuits for three or more years. This initiative is aimed at holding PacifiCorp accountable as the utility faces numerous lawsuits related to the deadly 2020 wildfires that devastated the state. The proposed bill comes in response to a federal lawsuit filed against PacifiCorp by the U.S. government over the Archie Creek Fire, accusing the company of negligence in maintaining its power lines to prevent wildfires.

In response to the federal lawsuit, a PacifiCorp spokesperson stated that the company is working with the U.S. government to address the claims. The lawsuit was filed on the same day that the Oregon Public Utility Commission approved a 9.8% rate increase for PacifiCorp’s residential customers in the upcoming year. This rate increase was partially attributed to higher costs associated with wildfire risk and activity. The approval of the rate increase has led to concerns among utility customers, as rates will have increased by nearly 50% since 2021.

The three lawmakers behind the proposed bill intend to introduce it in the upcoming legislative session, which begins in January. They expressed support for the federal lawsuit against PacifiCorp, emphasizing the need for the utility company to take responsibility for the damages caused by the wildfires. PacifiCorp is facing billions of dollars in damages from the series of lawsuits related to the 2020 fires in Oregon. The company has already reached settlement agreements for substantial amounts with various parties affected by the wildfires.

Among the settlement agreements reached by PacifiCorp, one was for $299 million with 463 plaintiffs impacted by the Archie Creek Fire, and another for $250 million with 10 companies with commercial timber interests. In addition, an Oregon jury found PacifiCorp liable for negligence in failing to cut power to its customers despite warnings from fire officials, leading to orders for the company to pay tens of millions to other wildfire victims. The 2020 wildfires in Oregon, which resulted in the loss of nine lives and thousands of homes, were some of the worst natural disasters in state history. The proposed bill aims to prevent utilities like PacifiCorp from passing on the costs of unresolved wildfire lawsuits to customers through rate increases.

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