Les Perkins will be part of the Oregon Public Utility Fee (OPUC) following Oregon Senate affirmation earlier this month.
Perkins, who served on the Hood River County Board of Commissioners since 2001, beforehand labored as common supervisor at Farmers Irrigation District in Hood River. The district has been a pacesetter within the state in irrigation modernization, which includes upgrading infrastructure to avoid wasting water and generate hydropower utilizing the stress and move of water in piped programs.
Perkins additionally helped begin Farmers Conservation Alliance, which works with Power Belief to assist irrigation districts plan and fund irrigation modernization tasks. He was additionally a long-time member of Power Belief’s Renewable Advisory Council.
“I’m excited in regards to the alternative to make use of the information and expertise gained all through my profession to assist form Oregon’s vitality future to fulfill the calls for of the approaching a long time whereas balancing the wants of the varied communities that make up our state,” Perkins mentioned in an OPUC information launch.
Gov. Tina Kotek nominated Perkins to fill the opening left by Mark Thompson, whose time period was set to finish in November 2023. He stepped down a month early to hitch Type Power, a battery storage producer.
Perkins will serve a four-year time period ending in February 2028. He joins OPUC Chair Megan Decker and Commissioner Letha Tawney on the three-member utility fee.
Along with regulating the state’s investor-owned electrical, gasoline and phone utilities, the OPUC oversees Power Belief’s funding in energy-efficiency and renewable vitality applications on behalf of Oregon prospects of Portland Basic Electrical, Pacific Energy, NW Pure, Cascade Pure Gasoline and Avista prospects.
As a part of its oversight, the OPUC units annual efficiency measures for Power Belief together with for vitality financial savings, renewable useful resource improvement, monetary integrity, buyer satisfaction and fairness.
Tawney additionally serves on the Power Belief board of administrators as ex officio.