Ted Sickinger

Residential customers of Northwest Natural Gas will see their monthly bills increase by 5.4% starting Friday, bringing them to $85.95 on average, according to the Oregon Public Utility Commission.

The temporary moratorium is for low-income and medically vulnerable customers.

Oregons two largest electric utilities said Friday that they will halt service disconnections for qualified low-income and medically vulnerable customers until the end of the year.

“We should not put them on trial or punish them for the crimes of one individual,” one advocate said.

The Oregon Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday in favor of PacifiCorp in a long-running class action lawsuit stemming from Oregon’s historic 2020

Environmental groups contend the project threatens habitat for sage grouse and other species, as well as water resources and local communities

Portland-based PacifiCorp is the first utility outside California to participate in the market, which pools generation and transmission assets to reduce costs and improve reliability.

The company is developing floating data centers powered by wave energy and cooled by seawater.

A Multnomah County judge Friday paused most proceedings for victims seeking damages from PacifiCorp for homes and property destroyed in 2020 wildfires.

The Public Utility Commission turned down the temporary increase that would have raised $55 million, citing insufficient proof of immediate need as the utility faces billions in wildfire settlements.