Cascade Natural Gas Seeks 17.4% Residential Rate Increase; Hearing March 3

Cascade Natural Gas’s filing with the Oregon Public Utility Commission would raise a typical residential bill for a 59-therm customer from $63.63 to $74.70 per month, an $11.07 increase the company frames as a 17.4 percent residential rate change. Customers in Hermiston, Pendleton, Baker City and parts of northern Morrow, Umatilla, Union and Baker counties are in the company’s service area and are eligible to testify at the PUC’s virtual public comment hearing at 6:00 p.m. PST on March 3.

In its rate case filing, Cascade asks regulators to increase annual revenue by $16.4 million, a figure presented alongside the residential percentage and described in the filing as roughly 15.8 percent more revenue. According to the company’s request, the main reason for the proposed rate hike is “to offset rising costs to maintain its distribution system and make it safer and more reliable.” KTVZ reported the filing saying “the additional funds are needed to cover growing operations and maintenance costs while supporting improvements to system safety and reliability.”

The PUC has scheduled an informational workshop the same day from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. PST for customers to learn about the proposal and ask staff questions; that session is informational only and will not take public comments. The public meeting for testimony is set for 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. PST, with virtual and phone-in participation options listed on the Oregon PUC website and a Zoom link provided for the March 3 events.

Consumer advocates and organized intervenors have lined up to challenge the size of the request. The Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board is active in the case, and the Green Energy Institute is representing a coalition that includes Sierra Club, Oregon Just Transition Alliance, 350 Deschutes, Energize Bend, Oregon Environmental Council, The Environmental Center and Climate Solutions. The PUC press release and advocacy notices indicate customers and advocates are expected to testify against the 17.4 percent increase. The Citizens’ Utility Board highlighted a winter example showing a household paying $119 in January 2026 could pay $135 in January 2027 under Cascade’s proposal.

This is Cascade’s first general rate increase request since 2020, following the company’s November 1, 2024 rate reduction of 13.2 percent for residential customers tied to lower wholesale gas prices and the November 1, 2022 residential increase of 25.1 percent tied to higher wholesale prices. Cascade’s current filing emphasizes operational and safety spending rather than wholesale fuel costs, though separate annual gas-cost filings may still be submitted later in the year.

Regulators expect to rule on the general rate case in October 2026, and filings cite late-October effective dates if approved; published materials show slight discrepancy on the requested effective date, with Oct. 26 and Oct. 31, 2026 both appearing in filings. Residents who want to testify at the March 3 public comment hearing or submit written comments should consult the Oregon PUC website for the docket information, the Zoom and phone-in details, and any updates to the scheduled timelines.