Photo credit – Christine Morillo
Daniel Scotton
Executive Director
Southern Oregon Climate Action Now
March 5th, 2025
Testimony supporting House Bill 3546
Chair Lively and members of the House Committee on Climate, Energy and Environment:
My name is Daniel Scotton and I am writing as Executive Director of Southern Oregon Climate Action Now. SOCAN is a grassroots climate organization of some 2,000 Southern Oregonians. We are concerned about the climate crisis and seek federal, state and local action to address it.
I am testifying today in strong support of HB 3546, the POWER Act, because it is a common-sense solution to ensure that large-scale energy users pay their fair share, rather than shifting the financial burden onto Oregon families and small businesses.
Estimates from the Electric Power Research Institute suggest Oregon is already supplying 11.4% of its electricity to data centers, and has been identified as one of the top 15 states for increased demand. Forecasts provided by EPRI suggest that Oregon, in the highest growth model, will supply 24.1% of its total electric supply to power data centers [1]. This outsized demand on our power grid will require rapid upgrading and expanding of our energy infrastructure, and without protections in place, the weight of the capital generation required for such endeavors will fall upon the shoulders of the Oregon ratepayers. This is not sustainable, or equitable.
HB 3546 creates a balanced approach by establishing a new rate category to better identify the largest consumers of the Oregon power supply. This will ensure that corporations that consume the most energy, will appropriately contribute to the expansion and maintenance of Oregon’s energy grid.
Without this bill, we risk continued rate hikes on everyday Oregonians, while large corporations benefit from an outdated and unbalanced pricing system. I urge you to vote YES on HB 3546 to encourage responsible corporate energy use that aligns with all Oregonian’s commitment to principles of fairness and sustainability.
Additionally, I urge the committee, or proponents, to develop a small amendment to the proposal that prevents the Public Utility Commission from designating a rate that allows Data Centers to capitalize on their scale to pay less than everyone else. Large power consumption should equate to a higher rate paid to access a common resource.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Daniel Scotton
803 North Main St.
Ashland, OR
[email protected]
541-890-0504
Sources Cited:
1 Electric Power Research Institute (May 2024)- Page 13, 26
