About Intervenor Funding
The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) is responsible for ensuring Oregon utility customers have access to safe, reliable and high quality utility services at just and reasonable rates. Intervenor funding is available to ensure that those qualified organizations who represent utility customers have the financial resources to participate in the PUC’s proceedings. The PUC must approve any agreement before financial assistance can be provided. See OAR 860-001-0120 and 860-001-0130 for qualification information.
View the specific intervenor funding agreements below:
The Intervenor Funding Summary provides fund distribution details to date.
Low Income and Environmental Justice Community Intervenor Funding
In 2021, the Oregon Legislature passed HB 2475 into law, which in part creates a new opportunity for groups to get funding to participate in PUC processes. This funding, $500,000 annually, is available to groups that represent low income or environmental justice communities. The PUC recently approved an agreement between utilities and advocates to implement the legislation and has adopted rules in
Docket No. AR 652.
View this agreement, which forms the foundation for rules.
There are two types of funding available –
The first is case funding, which is requested on a docket-by-docket basis. This means that a group may ask for funding as they start to participate in a single docket. Up to 50 percent of this funding is available up-front.
The second is pre-certification grant funding. This is a broader type of funding and is available to groups to participate in a variety of dockets. Essentially, this funding can operate as a multi-subject grant for activity at the PUC, and groups can request that all of this funding be provided up front. Groups request this type of funding one time per year, with the PUC approving funding for up to five requests per year for this more flexible type of funding. Pre-certification funding for 2023 has closed. Applications for 2024 funding may be submitted to Docket No. 2276 before November of this year.