Thumbnail photo courtesy of Pacific Power
By Brie Fraley
Pacific Power’s request for a 57% rate increase should concern every resident of Del Norte County. Electricity is not a luxury. It is essential to heating our homes, operating businesses, maintaining public services and meeting the everyday needs of our families. When a utility proposes an increase of this magnitude, the question is not simply whether the company can justify its expenses, but whether the communities expected to pay can afford the consequences.
I spent a short time serving in an appointed capacity with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) where I gained a deeper understanding of how utility companies are governed and how decisions affecting ratepayers are made. The CPUC is a state regulatory agency with quasi-judicial authority, meaning it functions in some ways like a court. Utility companies submit applications to increase rates, and those requests are examined through formal proceedings involving administrative law judges, commissioners, attorneys, expert testimony and financial evidence. It is a complex process that can feel almost mysterious from the outside, despite the tremendous influence these decisions have over our everyday lives. When decisions about essential services are made through a system that requires specialized legal and technical knowledge to navigate, it raises an important question about how accessible that process is to the people who ultimately bear the costs.
Pacific Power operates under PacifiCorp, an Oregon-headquartered utility serving six states. In California, its roughly 46,000 customer accounts are spread across portions of Del Norte, Siskiyou, Modoc, and Shasta counties. We represent a small fraction of its overall operations and a relatively small population within California’s utility regulatory system. Our geographic isolation should not diminish the importance of our economic circumstances or the level of scrutiny given to the costs we are being asked to pay.
Consider the economic realities of Del Norte County, where median household income is approximately $67,000 annually. A friend recently told me her winter electricity bill reached $900 in a single month. A simple 57% increase would bring that bill to $1,413, an additional $513. This is an illustration rather than a prediction of her actual bill because a separate rate reduction is also scheduled. But it demonstrates why the public needs an explanation of the full financial impact of this proposal. For a household earning our county’s median income, a $1,413 electricity bill would consume more than one-quarter of its gross monthly income.
The potential consequences reach beyond individual households. Local businesses already contend with substantial operating costs, and when electricity expenses rise, businesses may have little choice but to pass some of those costs on to consumers through higher prices just to remain viable. Families could end up paying more not only on their own electricity bills, but also for groceries, goods and services throughout our community. Schools, healthcare providers, Tribal governments and public agencies also depend on affordable electricity to provide essential services.
The Del Norte Senior Center reports that our county lost nearly $370,000 in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding between 2024 and 2026. How will programs already struggling to meet existing needs respond if the cost of electricity rises substantially?
Pacific Power attributes much of its request to wildfire prevention, infrastructure improvements, insurance expenses and rising operating costs. I recognize the importance of wildfire safety, particularly for rural communities that know the consequences of failing infrastructure. But necessary investments do not automatically justify every expense being recovered from ratepayers. The public deserves to know which costs are reasonable, how they are allocated across PacifiCorp’s six-state operations and what alternatives have been considered.
On Oct. 29, Pacific Power announced a proposed rate settlement in Oregon that would result in an average residential increase of just 0.3% after other rate adjustments. Eight days later, the same company requested a 57% general rate increase in California, with a separate reduction expected to offset part of it. That’s a striking disparity. Why are the numbers so dramatically different for customers served by the same utility? Pacific Power owes Northern California ratepayers a clear explanation of how costs are being distributed across its six-state operations and why our communities are facing an increase of this magnitude.
There is a perception that the CPUC favors the utilities it regulates over the ratepayers it is charged with protecting. I believe that perception is reinforced by the imbalance in resources and expertise available to participate in rate proceedings. Utility companies retain attorneys, economists, and technical experts to make their cases. California also has an independent Public Advocates Office whose responsibility is to pursue the lowest possible utility rates consistent with safe and reliable service. But representing the public should mean more than reviewing financial documents and participating in regulatory hearings. I would like to see the Public Advocates Office reach out directly to Pacific Power customers in Del Norte County, listen to their experiences, explain how it is examining this proposal and ensure our economic realities are reflected in its advocacy. Ratepayers should not have to navigate a complicated regulatory system on their own to have their concerns understood.
Del Norte County has an opportunity to respond. I am calling on the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors, Crescent City Council, Tribal governments, school districts and other affected public agencies to consider becoming formal parties to the CPUC proceeding. Party status would allow these jurisdictions to receive ongoing notices and filings, present evidence of the economic impacts on their communities and public services and directly challenge Pacific Power’s proposed costs. I also encourage coordination with local and Tribal governments in Siskiyou, Modoc, and Shasta counties, which share this utility service territory. For individual ratepayers, I encourage signing up for the proceeding’s Information Only service list to receive updates and stay informed as the case progresses. The initial window for filing a formal protest or response is generally 30 days after the application appears in the CPUC’s Daily Calendar, making timely consideration important. Our communities deserve more than an opportunity to comment after the fact. We need meaningful representation while these decisions are being made.
We should also request an accessible public participation hearing in Del Norte County. Residents and businesses can begin documenting their electricity expenses and the potential consequences of higher rates. Our LIHEAP provider and willing Tribal energy assistance programs can help explain the pressures already placed on limited community resources. These are important pieces of evidence that should inform the regulatory review.
The proposed 57% increase has not been approved. There is still time to ask questions, seek independent analysis, and ensure our community’s circumstances are part of the public record. I encourage residents to follow the proceeding, contact the CPUC Public Advisor’s Office at public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov and communicate their concerns to our local and state representatives.
We all want safe and reliable electrical service. But reliability and affordability must be considered together, and corporate financial responsibility deserves the same careful examination as the financial obligations placed on customers.
Del Norte County may represent a small fraction of Pacific Power’s customers, but the consequences of this decision will be anything but small for the people who live here.
Brie Fraley is a Del Norte County resident who previously served in an appointed capacity with the California Public Utilities Commission. She was also recently elected to represent Trustee Area 5 on the Del Norte County Unified School District Board of Trustees. She writes here in her personal capacity.
