Connect with us

Oregon

Oregon utility to review PGE plan over data center cost concerns

Published

on

Oregon utility to review PGE plan over data center cost concerns


The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) has accused Portland General Electric (PGE) of circumventing Oregon’s new POWER Act, which mandates that data centers cover their own energy costs.

CUB claims PGE’s proposed cost-sharing framework unfairly burdens residential customers with a significant portion of the expenses associated with data center growth.

The consumer advocacy group was established in 1984, as a utility watchdog over Oregon’s three investor-owned electric utilities, PGE, Pacific Power and Idaho Power.

PAST COVERAGE | Oregon House passes bill making large data centers pay for power grid costs

Advertisement

According to CUB, PGE’s plan would charge residential customers 34-45% of the costs for new power supply and transmission, despite data centers being the primary drivers of increased energy demand.

CUB argues that this approach contradicts the intent of the POWER Act, which aims to prevent Oregon families from subsidizing data centers.

PGE, however, defends its proposal. The company mentioned a new tool called the Peak Growth Modifier as a means to ensure that those driving peak demand growth bear the associated costs.

“The electric grid and generating resources are built to make sure customers are reliably served at moments when usage is at its highest point – this is peak demand,” PGE said. “The principle is simple: customer groups driving peak-demand growth should pay for the infrastructure needed to serve that growth.”

The Oregon Public Utility Commission is currently reviewing PGE’s plan, with a decision expected by April 2026.

Advertisement

The POWER Act, signed by Gov. Kotek, instructed the commission to create a new industrial customer class for those using over 20 megawatts of energy, primarily data centers.

The bill also included provisions for infrastructure cost-sharing mechanisms, customer protections, and long-term contracts for data centers.

What’s the buzz around data centers?

Data centers are facilities that house and run large computer systems. They have been expanding at a fast pace to power the fast-growing AI economy across the country.

They usually contain several computer servers, data storage devices, network equipment and other devices that allow for storing, managing, processing and transmitting data.

SEE ALSO | Exploring AI data centers’ impact on U.S. resources

Advertisement

Currently, residential customers account for 40% of total electricity consumption, while data centers represent only 6% in Oregon.

However, data centers are expected to grow to approximately 20% of total consumption by 2030.

Oregon currently has 138 data centers, according to Data Center Map’s database.

Data centers use a lot of electricity, especially those specifically built to support generative AI.

A new Pew Research Center analysis of federal and international data shows U.S. data centers used 183 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2024, about 4% of all electricity used nationwide, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Advertisement

That’s roughly equal to the entire annual electricity use of Pakistan.

According to Pew and the IEA, a typical AI-optimized hyperscale center uses as much electricity as 100,000 homes a year. Newer mega-facilities could use 20 times more once they go online.

In major hubs, especially Northern Virginia, clusters of these centers now consume more than a quarter of the state’s total electricity supply, the Electric Power Research Institute reports.

Carnegie Mellon University estimates U.S. electricity bills could rise 8% by 2030 just from data centers and crypto mining alone, with even steeper hikes in the most data-center-dense regions.

Data centers in the U.S. also consumed 17 billion gallons of fresh, drinking water in 2023, mainly to cool energy-intensive AI chips.

Advertisement

By 2028, hyperscale centers alone could be consuming 16 to 33 billion gallons annually — roughly the yearly use of a mid-sized U.S. city.

The Associated Press and Emma Withrow of The National Desk contributed to this report.



Source link

Oregon

Timeline video traces SB 1008’s impact on Oregon juvenile justice, viewers can watch now

Published

on

Timeline video traces SB 1008’s impact on Oregon juvenile justice, viewers can watch now


Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.

Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.

To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.

Comment with Bubbles
Advertisement

BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT

The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.



Source link

Continue Reading

Oregon

New Jersey man sentenced in Oregon federal court for conspiring to distribute fentanyl

Published

on

New Jersey man sentenced in Oregon federal court for conspiring to distribute fentanyl


A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.

Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.

“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”

“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”

Advertisement

“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”

“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”

According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”

In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.

On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.

Advertisement

On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.

HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.



Source link

Continue Reading

Oregon

4 Takeaways From Oregon State Baseball’s Run At The Eugene Regional

Published

on

4 Takeaways From Oregon State Baseball’s Run At The Eugene Regional


Oregon State’s season came to an end in Eugene on Sunday evening, after a rocky 7th inning doomed them against the 11th-ranked Oregon Ducks. The Beavers put up a valiant effort to try and fight their way back from the loser’s bracket, but they couldn’t accomplish this incredible feat that they pulled off in 2025.

A Bad Start Changed Everything

Winning the first game of a regional is almost a must if you want to advance, and this is where things started to go south.

Advertisement

After a nearly two-week layoff (since they didn’t have a conference tournament), OSU’s bats were rusty against a very solid left-hander in WSU’s Nick Lewis. Though the Beavers were able to put up a run early on, Lewis rolled with the punches and ended up throwing a complete game against the country’s seventh-ranked team. Though their bats came to life the next day, the uphill climb proved to be too much.

Advertisement

Pitching Wasn’t the Issue

Oregon State came into this tournament with the nation’s best ERA, and their starting rotation was exactly as advertised.

After a good outing from Kleinschmit on Friday afternoon, Eric Segura threw a 6.2 inning gem in an elimination game against Yale. True freshman Trey Morris threw 117 pitches in the rout of WSU early Saturday, and Wyatt Queen was excellent against the Ducks off of short rest later that evening.

The Power Just Wasn’t There

Advertisement

In today’s era of baseball where starting pitchers are so talented, it’s crucial to have guys that can get you runs with just one swing of the bat, especially when the man on the hill is striking a lot of people out.

Advertisement

Throughout the entirety of this season, the Beavers have not been a club that hits for much power, and this makes things difficult in the postseason. In four games across the Eugene regional, Oregon State didn’t hit a single ball out of the park. In 2026 they only hit a total of 55 homers, a stark contrast from the 107 of 2025’s Omaha year.

They Ran into a Good Team With a Deep Pitching Staff

In Mark Wasikowski’s tenure with the Ducks, his team’s pitching has often been a crutch that holds them back from big postseason runs. This certainly doesn’t seem to be the case this year.

Throughout the regional that they hosted, Oregon starters looked nearly untouchable. Will Sanford struck out 14 batters and didn’t allow a run against Washington State. Yesterday against the Beavers, left-hander Miles Gosztola was phenomenal, bouncing back after allowing a run in the second inning. The Ducks also have great relievers in guys like Tanner Bradley and Devin Bell. With a lot of reliable arms to go to, it would’ve been difficult to beat Oregon twice.

Advertisement

Add us as a preferred source on Google



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending