Pacific Power Proposes 10.8% Rate Increase for 2027 in Oregon

Pacific Power customers in Oregon could face another major electricity rate increase next year (2027).

On May 1, 2026, Pacific Power filed a new general rate case with the Oregon Public Utility Commission (OPUC). If approved as filed, the request would increase residential rates an average of 10.8% beginning April 5, 2027. Pacific Power estimates that the proposed increase, considered on its own, would add approximately $15.61 per month to the bill of a typical residential customer.

Pacific Power also expects other approved rate adjustments to reduce bills before the new general rates take effect. Taking those projected changes into account, the utility estimates that a typical residential customer would pay approximately $3.12 more per month in April 2027 than in April 2026 – a net increase of about 2%.

That lower projected net increase sounds lower than the overall proposed increase, but it does not erase years of major price increases or guarantee long-term rate stability. For Oregon homeowners tired of unpredictable power costs, the latest proposal is another reason to consider how solar panels could reduce the amount of electricity they must purchase from the utility.

Estimate your potential savings with our free Solar Calculator.

How Much Is Pacific Power Proposing to Raise Rates in 2027?

Under Pacific Power’s current proposal:

• Residential rates would increase an average of 10.8%.
• A typical residential customer would pay approximately $15.61 more per month from the general rate increase alone.
• New rates would take effect April 5, 2027, if approved.
• Pacific Power projects that other rate adjustments could offset much of the increase, leaving a typical April 2027 bill about 2%, or $3.12 per month, higher than in April 2026.

The projected net increase reflects several separate rate adjustments. In a breakdown on its website, Pacific Power points to a $4.03 monthly reduction that took effect in May 2026, along with additional projected reductions of $3.42 per month in January 2027 and $5.04 per month in April 2027. Together, those reductions would offset much of the proposed general rate increase.

These adjustments are tied to separate regulatory processes and changing power-cost estimates. The Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board has cautioned that some of the projected savings are not yet certain. The final impact on customer bills could change as regulators review the proposal and update the underlying forecasts.

The request is not final. The OPUC is reviewing the proposal through Docket UE 470 and may approve, reduce or otherwise modify it. Customers can also submit public comments while the case remains open.

Why Is Pacific Power Asking for Another Rate Increase?

Pacific Power says the additional revenue is needed to support safe and reliable service while addressing rising business and infrastructure costs. The utility has identified several major cost drivers, including:

• Replacement and upgrades of power lines, poles and other grid equipment
• Major infrastructure projects, including the Willamette River Crossing project
• Higher prices for materials and construction
• Increased insurance costs associated with wildfire risk
• Other investments intended to improve grid reliability and resilience

The utility says this request does not include recovery of wildfire litigation costs. It also says residential customers are not being asked to cover infrastructure costs created by data centers, citing protections established under Oregon’s POWER Act.

Consumer advocates are still scrutinizing the filing. The Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board (OCUB) has raised concerns about affordability and several individual components of the proposal, including a requested increase in Pacific Power’s allowed return on equity and higher monthly basic charges.

Under the proposal, the basic charge for a single-family residential customer would rise from $13 to $17 per month. The multifamily basic charge would increase from $8 to $9. Because these are fixed monthly charges, customers would pay them regardless of how much electricity they use.

Pacific Power Customers Have Already Faced Years of Rate Increases

The proposed 2027 increase follows several years of significant price changes for Pacific Power customers in Oregon:

• 2022: 15% residential rate increase
• 2023: 21% residential rate increase
• 2024: 12.9% residential rate increase, adding approximately $14.92 per month to power bills.
• 2025: Residential rates increased 9.8%, adding roughly $14 per month for a typical customer.
• 2026: A collection of approved adjustments increased residential rates approximately 2.9%, or $4.29 per month, beginning April 1. A separate $4.03 monthly decrease followed in May when a temporary charge expired.

These percentages cannot simply be added together, and individual bills vary based on usage and the timing of other adjustments. Still, the overall direction is hard to ignore. Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) reported in late 2024 that Pacific Power residential rates had already climbed nearly 50% since 2021 – before the additional adjustments in 2026 and the newly proposed increase for 2027.

Each new percentage increase also begins from a higher starting point. That compounding effect means even a smaller future increase can add meaningful costs after several years of steep rate growth.

What Repeated Rate Changes Mean for Oregon Households

The actual impact of Pacific Power’s proposal will depend on how much electricity a household uses, its rate schedule and which of the projected increases and decreases regulators ultimately approve.

A larger home, electric heating, air conditioning, a heat pump, an electric vehicle, a hot tub or other power-hungry equipment can push household consumption above the level used in the utility’s typical-customer estimate. Extreme heat or cold can also increase usage just when a family most needs heating or cooling.

Even Pacific Power’s lower net estimate of $3.12 per month represents another increase layered onto power bills that have risen substantially in recent years. The gross request of $15.61 per month shows how much customers could be affected if expected offsets change or expire.

For families already dealing with higher housing, food, insurance and transportation costs, repeated electricity increases can make it harder to build a predictable household budget. Fixed monthly charges can be especially frustrating because conservation alone cannot reduce them.

Customers can use less energy, make efficiency upgrades or shift some consumption to off-peak hours. But they cannot control the utility’s price per kilowatt-hour or determine which future rate requests will be filed. A household can consume the same amount of electricity and still receive a higher bill when the rate changes.

Solar Can Reduce Your Exposure to Rising Utility Prices

When a home depends entirely on the grid, nearly every kilowatt-hour it uses must be purchased at the utility’s current rate. When that rate rises, the same amount of electricity costs more.

A properly designed solar panel system changes that equation by generating electricity at the property. Every kilowatt-hour supplied by solar is electricity the homeowner may not need to buy from Pacific Power at the full retail rate.

Here are several ways solar may help Oregon homeowners respond to repeated utility increases:

• Reduce electricity purchases. The more household usage a solar system can cover, the less electricity the homeowner may need to purchase from the grid.
• Create greater long-term predictability. Solar allows a homeowner to invest in equipment designed to produce electricity for decades instead of depending exclusively on future utility prices.
• Make home-generated electricity more valuable as utility rates rise. Future rate increases are never guaranteed, but each kilowatt-hour generated at home can become more financially valuable when grid electricity costs more.
• Prepare for future energy needs. A custom solar design can account for plans to add an electric vehicle, heat pump, air conditioning or other electrical equipment in the future.
• Combine savings with backup power. Battery storage can keep selected appliances or circuits running during an outage. It may also allow homeowners on a time-of-use (TOU) plan to store solar energy and use it during higher-priced periods.

Solar won’t always eliminate a utility bill. Customers may continue to pay basic service charges, and solar production varies with the season, weather, shading, roof conditions, system size and household usage. That is why a personalized solar analysis is more useful than a one-size-fits-all promise.

Find Out Whether Solar Makes Sense Before the Next Rate Increase

Pacific Power’s final 2027 rates have not yet been decided. The requested percentage may be reduced, and the utility’s projected offsets may lower the near-term impact. But one relatively modest net change would not undo the major increases customers have experienced since 2021 – or guarantee that rates will remain stable in the years ahead.

For homeowners who want greater control, the most useful next step is to determine how much of their electricity use could realistically be covered by solar.

Green Ridge Solar offers a free solar and battery analysis that can help answer questions such as:

• How much electricity does your household currently use?
• How much solar energy could your roof or property produce?
• What portion of your annual usage could a custom solar system cover?
• How would a future EV, heat pump or other electrical upgrade affect the recommended system size?
• What purchase, financing or third-party ownership (TPO) options are available?
• What could your estimated long-term savings look like under reasonable utility-rate assumptions?

Green Ridge Solar is a local Oregon solar company with in-house installation and electrical teams. Each system is designed around the property, the customer’s energy use and their long-term goals. Local professionals manage the process from the initial analysis and system design through permitting, installation and ongoing service.

You can also learn more about residential solar installation in Oregon or review the details of Pacific Power’s 2026 rate increase to see how quickly recent price changes have added up.

Take Control of Your Energy Costs

Pacific Power’s proposed 2027 rate increase still must go through regulatory review. The final numbers may change, but the larger pattern is already clear: Oregon households have faced repeated electricity rate increases, and there is no guarantee that 2027 will be the last.

You can’t control what the utility company will charge for electricity in the future. But you can explore ways to reduce how much electricity you need to purchase from it.

Before the next increase arrives, find out whether solar could lower your power bills and reduce your dependence on rising grid prices. Request your free solar analysis from Green Ridge Solar today for a personalized look at your property, energy usage and potential savings—with no obligation. You can also use our free Solar Calculator to begin estimating your savings now.