In 1999, the Oregon Legislature passed electric industry restructuring for business customers of Portland General Electric (PGE) and Pacific Power. The new legislation eliminated the utilities' regulated cost of service rate option for business customers but provided two (2) new options:

1. Customers may choose an alternative supplier for their electricity; or
2. Customers may choose the utility's "Standard Offer" rate which is tied to market prices.

2001 Legislature amended the original restructuring law by ensuring that all customers continue to have the utilities' regulated, cost of service rate option until the Oregon Public Utility Commission (OPUC) finds that a competitive market exists. This law allows business customers to opt out of the utilities' cost of service rate on an annual basis to elect either Direct Access service or the Standard Offer rate.

In August 2004, the OPUC adopted Order No. 04-483 approving the following rules which govern the utilities' annual shopping window for eligible customers to opt out of the cost of service rate for the following calendar year:

1. On November 8 the utilities will update and post the indicative non-binding estimates of electricity prices for the subsequent calendar year on their web sites. ESSs will do the same.
2. On November 15, utilities will announce their fixed Cost of Service rate for 2008;
3. Utilities will give eligible customers an enrollment window from November 15 - November 26 to opt out and elect:
   1. COS rate;
   2. Direct Access Service through an Electricity Service Supplier (ESS); or
   3. Standard Offer rate for the subsequent calendar year.

  Do you have questions about Oregon's Electricity Market? Get your answers in this helpful FAQ

Constellation NewEnergy has been certified by the OPUC as a Scheduling ESS since January 2002. Constellation NewEnergy is registered to transact business with Portland General Electric and Pacific Power and can enroll eligible business customers in the two utilities' service territories for Direct Access service.

• Step 1:  Portland General Electric customers must first sign and return the Direct Access Historical Release form. Pacific Power customers must first sign and return the Customer Information/Payment History Release form. (Please note that neither utility accepts faxed forms or e-mails.)
• Step 2:  Constellation NewEnergy obtains your historical electricity usage data from your utility, analyzes your power consumption patterns and develops a customized proposal for your business.
• Step 3:  You and Constellation NewEnergy execute an Electricity Supply Agreement.
• Step 4:  Constellation NewEnergy seamlessly transitions your accounts to Direct Access Service.
• Step 5:  You begin receiving power from Constellation NewEnergy on your next meter read date in January, 2008.

  authorization_OR_pacificorp.pdf
  authorization_OR_pge.pdf