Pacific Power proposal to lower average bill by 5.5 percent

August 10, 2020

Pacific Power’s 45,000 customers in Northern California, including Del Norte County, could see a 5.5 percent average rate decrease under a proposal filed Aug. 3 with the California Public Utility Commission.

The annual Energy Cost Adjustment Clause (ECAC) filing marks changes, up or down, in the cost of generating and delivering power to customers. With this latest proposed decrease in customer rates combined with other recent rate decreases, Pacific Power’s California customer rates would decrease a total of nearly 18 percent over a 12-month period.

If approved by the Commission, customers can see this latest cost savings as early as Jan. 1, 2021. Pacific Power reported it has been able to provide these cost reductions due to its investments in new wind generation, upgrading its existing wind fleet and federal production tax credits associated with the projects.

“This is a significant cost savings for our customers, something that will make a difference in these challenging economic times,” said Stefan Bird, president and CEO of Pacific Power. “When we embarked on the Energy Vision 2020 project, we knew we would be making the grid greener, more efficient and more affordable and we are proud to be delivering on this promise to our California customers.”

If approved as filed, the average residential customer using 850 kilowatt-hours per month would see a bill decrease of 5.5 percent, or approximately $6.58 per month.

An ECAC is a required annual rate adjustment filing that allows Pacific Power to adjust the level of net costs of power to reflect current market conditions. The California Public Utilities Commission may schedule hearings on the ECAC proposal. Customers may submit comments to the Commission.