ORS 757.676: Consumer-owned utility authorized to offer direct, portfolio or other forms of access to electricity services.

The governing body of a consumer-owned utility is authorized to determine whether and under what terms and conditions it will offer its retail electricity consumers direct access, portfolio access or other forms of access to electric service suppliers. In making such determination, the governing body of a consumer-owned utility shall consider such factors as it deems appropriate. A consumer-owned utility shall have sole authority to determine: (1) The quality and nature of electric service, including but not limited to different product and pricing options, which shall be made available to its retail electricity consumers. (2) The extent to which products and services will be unbundled and the rates, tariffs, terms and conditions on which they may be offered. (3) Whether one or more pilot programs for direct access, portfolio access or other forms of access to alternative suppliers will be offered. (4) Notwithstanding ORS 757.600 (10) and (35), what constitutes an economic or uneconomic utility investment, the value of such investments and, in the case of uneconomic utility investments, the manner and means of mitigating such investments. (5) Whether and on what basis a transition charge will be adopted, assessed and collected from a retail electricity consumer located within the utility’s service territory, including but not limited to a nonbypassable distribution charge, the amount and period of recovery for the charges, the allocation of the charges among retail electricity consumers located within the utility’s service territory and the method of collecting such charges including but not limited to whether to impose a nonbypassable distribution charge. (6) The manner of collecting stranded distribution charges, systems benefit charges, franchise fees, taxes and payments made in lieu of taxes from retail electricity consumers located within the utility’s service territory for electric power transactions using transmission facilities, whether or not such transactions use distribution facilities. The governing body may assign charges on the basis of usage, demand or any combination or method it finds appropriate. Charges need not be assigned to specific facilities. (7) The collection from retail electricity consumers located within the utility’s service territory through rates, fees or charges, including the imposition of a nonbypassable distribution charge, in amounts sufficient to recover 100 percent of stranded costs imposed by, or incurred pursuant to the purchase of cost-based electric power from, the Bonneville Power Administration. Such stranded cost charges may include the difference in cost associated with purchasing electric power from the Bonneville Power Administration and the cost of purchasing a like and similar amount of electric power at market prices. (8) The establishment of technical capability requirements, financial responsibility requirements and other protections for retail electricity consumers located within the utility’s service territory and the consumer-owned utility in dealings with electric service suppliers. (9) Access to or use of the utility’s transmission facilities or distribution system by retail electricity consumers or electric service suppliers. (10) The utility’s qualification standards for energy service suppliers in addition to any certification standards established by the Public Utility Commission, provided that the qualification standards are uniformly applied to electricity service providers in a nondiscriminatory manner. [1999 c.865 §24; 2003 c.186 §80]