Market-Based Pricing FAQ

Direct Access is an option that allows eligible non-residential customers to purchase their electricity directly from competitive Electricity Service Suppliers (ESSs). PGE will continue to deliver electricity for all customers on Direct Access.

For non-residential customers on rate schedules 83, 85 and 89, the opportunity to choose Direct Access or PGE’s market-based pricing and opt out of standard service occurs during an election window. Schedule 32 non-residential customers (with accounts open longer than one year) may choose Direct Access at any time and do not need to opt out during an election window.

These windows allow large nonresidential customers to leave PGE’s standard service price and choose PGE’s Daily Market Pricing or choose to buy electricity from an Electricity Service Supplier (ESS). Eligible customers have three opportunities each year to leave standard service and one opportunity each November to return to standard service for the following year.

Eligible customers can choose to leave PGE’s standard service during three election windows (February, September or November). The February election window opens at 8 a.m. on Feb. 15 (or the next business day if the 15th falls on a weekend or holiday) and closes at 5 p.m. following three full business days, with Feb. 15 counting as the first business day.

The September window opens Sept. 1 at 8 a.m. Pacific Time and closes at 5 p.m. Sept. 30 or the last business day preceding the 30th if Sept. 30 falls on a weekend. The November election window begins at 2 p.m. on Nov. 15 (or the next business day if the 15th falls on a weekend or holiday). It closes at 5 p.m. following five full business days, with Nov. 16 counting as the first full business day. Eligible customers may elect to leave or return to PGE’s standard service during the November election window each year.

No, this is not an opportunity to return those accounts to PGE standard service. You may select to return to standard service only during the November election window.

No. If you are on standard service and do nothing, you will remain on standard service.

If you are already on a market-based pricing plan and wish to stay on it, you do not need to re-elect either. You only need to make an election if you want to switch plans.

Non-residential customers on Schedules 32, 83, 85 and 89 who are currently on standard service pricing may switch to a market-based pricing plan during an election window. Customers must complete the term of PGE’s applicable service under their rate schedule and may need to meet minimum size requirements before enrolling.

Yes, either a charge or a credit. If an eligible customer chooses to leave PGE’s basic service rate, the customer will be subject to the Schedule 128 transition adjustment for the 1-year opt out or the Schedule 129 transition adjustment for the 3- or 5-year opt out.

These adjustment rates reflect the difference between energy charges under the standard service option and the market price for the amount of energy made available by customers leaving standard service.

The schedule 128 and 129 adjustments apply to both types of market-based pricing.

Transition adjustments are updated for each election window. However, beginning with service year 2015, Sch 129 transition adjustments for 5-year opt out will be updated to add any OPUC-approved changes to fixed generation costs based on the effective date which may result in multiple price changes in one year.

Yes. 

3-year: The transition adjustment for the 3-year opt out will incorporate costs for both existing and new resources, if any, expected to begin providing service to customers during the 3-year term and will be known at the time the customer opts-out.

5-year: The transition adjustment for the 5-year opt-out will reflect only those resources that have been approved by the OPUC (Oregon Public Utilities Commission); however, it will be adjusted during the 5-year term to reflect any new generation resources approved by the OPUC.

No. The portion of Net Variable Power Cost, supplemental and power market adjustments will be calculated in advance of the enrollment window and will not be updated during the applicable 5-year period. The only adjustment will be to Fixed Generation costs consistent with Commission orders.

Remember that even if you elect Direct Access, you will continue to pay PGE certain charges to deliver the electricity to your business. If you begin researching your alternatives now, you’ll be well prepared to make your final selection during one of the election windows. Here are some ways to get started:

Indicative prices

To prepare for the September election window (multi-year opt out window), view the advice filing made to the OPUC containing non-binding indicative (estimated) prices for PGE’s standard service online on or around July 1st.

To prepare for the November election window, view non-binding indicative (estimated) prices for PGE’s standard service online on or around Sept. 15 and Nov. 8 — they will be posted on our Market-based Pricing page. These prices only serve as an indication of what the actual prices may be. The final prices will be posted when the November election window opens.

Historical data

For more information, view comparison charts. This is historical data and does not represent future prices.

Daily prices are available through ICE Mid-C Index.

According to the terms of the PGE’s tariff, we are unable to help you make a decision regarding whether to opt out of PGE’s basic service or return. Your decision must be based solely upon your own analysis of the benefits. The tools mentioned above and third-party energy experts are available to assist you in making such a decision.

For the long-term election window in September, contact your PGE representative as early as two weeks prior to the window opening for a customized enrollment agreement for you to sign and return within the window.

For the short term election windows:

Submit a Direct Access Historical Usage Release form. This will allow all available ESSs to see your usage history and evaluate potential pricing options. Allow at least two weeks for processing and for the information to be available for the election window.

You may either:

• Sign in and submit the form online

• Download a PDF and return it by mail

If you have previously sent PGE this form, you do not need to do so again.

At the beginning of each election window, PGE’s Schedule 128 or 129 transition adjustment rate is posted in the Market-based Pricing section.

If you choose to leave standard service pricing during any of the election windows, you will default to Daily pricing unless a DASR is received from an ESS to enroll you in Direct Access.

You can expedite the process for making an election by setting up your account groups online in advance. This can be done anytime during the year.

Yes, but only if we have received a signed Historical Usage Data Release form from you. You can authorize PGE to provide 12 months of historical usage data for each customer number you have selected to any Electricity Service Supplier that requests this information.

Your customer number is your 10-digit account number, which you can find on your bill. Historical usage data for all meters affiliated with the customer numbers provided with this form will be released to any ESS that requests this information.

You may either:

• Sign in and submit the form online

• Download a PDF and return it by mail

Note this will only release your historical usage data to an ESS. It is not a consent to release any other information to the ESS or any other parties.

PGE’s role is to maintain neutrality and assist customers through the enrollment process as described below. It is the customer’s responsibility to provide their energy consultants the account information necessary to work with the third party such as copies of bills, lists of accounts, usage information, addresses of accounts and other general account information.

PGE will not provide account information to the customer’s third party. Please also see sections 2.6 and 14.10 of PGE’s ESS Guide for additional information.

Log in and access your billing and account information online. PGE is available to answer questions about PGE tariffs and rules, the PGE website and clarifying questions about the enrollment process.

We would strongly discourage you from allowing your third-party consultant to complete the online process for you.

Doing so would allow that party access to all of your account and billing data as well as the ability to perform other actions unrelated to the election window until the online account is closed, which would be in the third party’s control, not the customer’s control.

The customer should complete this form. As mentioned above, a request should be received by PGE at least two weeks before the election window opens to ensure the data is available to the ESS in time.