Oregon Public Utility Commission
The Oregon Public Utility Commission oversees Energy Trust’s investment of utility customer funds in energy-efficiency and renewable power programs.
Through state legislation passed in 1999, the OPUC was authorized to select a nonprofit organization to invest the majority of a public purpose charge. Energy Trust was selected to receive and invest those funds in cost-effective energy efficiency, new renewable resources and market transformation. Since then, we have diversified our funding sources and the OPUC oversees our expenditures.
Stewardship of Customer Funds
The grant agreement signed between Energy Trust and the OPUC is the foundation for our wise investments of utility customer funds.
Our continuous accountability to the OPUC is demonstrated through:
- Quarterly and annual reports with financial statements
- Annual budgets and two-year action plans
- Annual minimum performance measures
- Strategic plans updated every five years
- Management reviews conducted every five years by a third party
- Details of public purpose charge expenditures to inform the biennial report submitted by the OPUC to the state legislature
These documents are submitted to the OPUC and are available to the public >
An OPUC commissioner also serves on our board of directors as an ex-officio, non-voting member, and OPUC staff are members of our advisory councils and select board committees.
Annual Minimum Performance Measures
The OPUC sets annual minimum performance measures to benchmark Energy Trust performance. For 2022, our performance measures direct us to:
- Deliver cost-effective electric and natural gas savings at low levelized costs
- Provide early-stage support for renewable energy projects and deliver renewable generation
- Report on NEEA and market transformation activities
- Spend less than 8% of annual revenues on administrative support costs
- Keep staffing expenditures low
- Receive an unmodified financial opinion
- Achieve high levels of customer satisfaction
- Support diversity, equity and inclusion efforts