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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 23, 2002)
January 23,2002 Page A3 ®J|c 'JjJortlanù (ßbseruer PGE and Pacific Power Offer 100 Percent ‘Green’ Power C u s to m e r s o f P a c if ic Pow er and Portland G eneral Electric (PGE) can sign up for 100 percent renew able elec tricity options for the first time. T he utilities are offering a salmon-friendly plan through G reen M ountain Energy Co. in addition to the “green” elec tricity options already sold. G reen M o u n tain is the nation’s largest residential pro- viderofcleanerelec tricity. O regon’s new electricity in dustry restru ctu rin g law re quires that the utilities provide custom ers w ith electric ser vice options. E le c tric ity fro m G reen M ountain is co n sid ered 100 percent pollu tio n -free be cause it is gen erated from a combination o f wind and geo therm al sources. G eotherm al electric plants derive their energy from natu rally occurring reservoirs o f hot w ater and steam below the earth ’s surface. The wind pow er will com e from the Pa cific Northwest. The electricity choices in clude three renew able pow er options: 1) R enew able U sage O p tio n — G reen M o u n tain E n e rg y sm e le c tric ity . T his pollu tio n -free o p tion is 100 p e rc e n t re n e w a b le and is b ased on actual usage. C u s to m e rs w ho sign up for this option will buy all theirelec- t r i c i t y fro m r e n e w a b le so u rc e s and it w ill av erag e about $6-8 m ore per h o u se hold per m onth. 2) Habitat O ption— Green M ountain Energytm Salmon- Friendly Plan. This offering takes the renew able product, above, and adds salmon habi tat protection. Pacific Pow er custom ers w ho choose this option will pay an additional $2.50 each month; P G E cus- O r e g o n ' s E lectricity R estructuring P lan What you need to know about your new energy options. For customers of Pacific Power, new energy options take effect March 1, 2002. Why is this happening? Will rates still be regulated? Legislation requiring electricity industry restructuring was signed into law in 1999. As a result, customers of Pacific Power will soon have a variety of options to choose from. For example, if the environment is important to you, there is an option that earmarks a portion of your bill for restoring fish habitat or for supporting renewable resources. There is also an option in which your electricity rate would be based on when you use your power. Your new options will vary according to your energy provider. Yes, all residential rates offered by Pacific Power will continue to be regulated by the OPUC, which regulates rates to ensure that customers receive reliable service at a reasonable cost. What if I don't want to change? You don't have to. You may select a new energy option or do nothing and stay with your existing service. As a residential customer, can I buy electricity from other companies? No. The law requires residential customers to continue to buy electricity from the company that serves them now. However, your existing utility will be providing you with a number of new energy options from which you may choose. In addition, business customers may be able to choose an alternative Electricity Service Supplier. What makes this different from deregulation in California? There are a number of ways Oregon's approach to restructuring differs from California's attempts to deregulate. For example, unlike California, Oregon's utilities will not be required to sell their electricity generating plants. In addition, Oregon's utilities will continue to be allowed to acquire power through long-term contracts. When do I have to act? Residential customers don't have to do anything « now. Look for a special brochure in the mail that will explain your new options in greater detail. You can also find out more on the Web at www.MyPowerOptions.com. How will I find out exactly what these new options are and how much they will cost? In the coming weeks, you'll receive a special brochure in the mail that will explain your new choices in further detail and provide you with complete infor mation about pricing, environmental impact, and benefits. If you do decide to choose one of the new options, we'll tell you how. e PACIFIC PO W ER F in d o u t m o re a t w w w .M y P o w e r O p t io n s .c o m t tom ers will pay an additional kilowatt-hour charge that will average close to $ 1.90 per m onth. The additional p ay ments will godirectly to salmon habitat restoration projects su p p o rted by the P acific Salm on W atershed Fund. H ouseholds that sign up for this option will pay on average $8-10 m ore per m onth. 3) F ixed R e n e w a b le O p tion — C lean W in d sm and Blue Skysm products. In a d d itio n to the tw o G reen M ountain Energysm electric- ity o p tio n s , T h e C le a n W in d sm and B lue S k y sm products currently being of fered to P G E and P acific Pow er custom ers will still be a v ailab le. B o th o f these products allow custom ers to buy fix ed am o u n ts o f c lean new wind power every month th at is in a d d itio n to th e ir basic electricity service. B y p u r c h a s in g G re e n M ountain Energysm electric ity, the average household in O regon can avoid contribut ing about 1,750 pounds o f carbon dioxide (C O 2) into the air each year, a significant reduction. “By choosing Green M oun tain Energysmelectricity, con sum ers and b u sinesses are able to personally support the O regon environm ent, help keep O regon clean and even help restore salm on habitats,” said K aren N orris, O regon m arketing director for G reen M ountain Energy Co. Betsy K auffm an, program m anager, For the Sake o f the Salm on, said the m onies allo cated to her non-profit group will m ake a trem endous d if ference in efforts to help restore salm on h ab i tat. “It’s great for O regonians to have the opportunity to buy pow er that d oesn’ t harm fish and doesn’t pollute,” she said. Downtown Retail Strategy Wanted The Portland Development C om m ission and the A sso ciation for Portland Progress have chosen a San Francisco agency to prepare a retail strategy for dow ntow n Port land. The firm , E conom ic R e search A ssociates, will work with a Portland steering com m ittee com prised o f busi nesses and retailers to p re pare a plan that responds to the considerable strengths, w eaknesses, opportunities and challenges facing dow n town retail. T he strategy w ill accom plish the following: 1) identify the appropriate type, mix and location o f various types o f retail to enhance dow ntow n’s retail destination status in the region, 2) develop an im ple m entation plan for the retail strategy, and 3)determine spe cific recommendations for im m ediate, short and long term action items. 7Z\C III j.lnt tl.inh lUhscvui r 5 0 3 .2 8 8 .0 0 3 3 adsC^por tlandobserver.com i
