Oregon approves 29.7% rate rise for data centres and crypto miners over 20 megawatts, cutting household bills by 1.3%
By Eve
The Oregon Public Utility Commission voted unanimously on 7 July to impose a 29.7% electricity rate increase on customers using more than 20 megawatts, including data centres, cryptocurrency operations and large industrial sites served by Portland General Electric. The hike, effective 8 July under Oregon's 2025 POWER Act, shifts grid costs away from PGE's 963,000 residential customers, whose typical monthly bills are expected to fall by 1.3% or around $1.91.
Why it matters: The ruling sets a US precedent for separating high demand users into distinct tariff classes, a model that could influence how utilities price power for EV charging hubs and depot operators if load thresholds expand. Procurement teams watching grid cost allocation may see similar rate structures emerge in other states, affecting long term charging infrastructure business cases.