PORTLAND, Ore. – For thousands of Northwest families, even monthly bills for life’s necessities can pile up too fast, especially during the cold, dark winter season. Partnering with local agencies throughout its service area, Pacific Power is continuing a proud history of helping customers needing assistance.

            Over the past 12 months, agencies providing energy assistance to Pacific Power customers in California, Oregon and Washington received a total of $510,000 in donations through Pacific Power from customers, employees and company shareholders. As a result, during the 2006-2007 heating season, these agencies helped more than 5,000 households that are also customers.

           “This gift is a tremendous aid for our neighbors who are struggling to meet their basic needs,” said Roger Rees, executive director of Oregon HEAT, the nonprofit agency that administers funds in Oregon. “Thousands of Oregon families will get the help they need to maintain a warm and well-lit home this winter. Pacific Power deserves special recognition for its outstanding efforts to keep the power on across the state.”

“When we became part of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company in March 2006, we promised to ensure stable total annual funding levels for energy assistance for five years,” said Pat Reiten, president of Pacific Power. “We’re happy to report that these levels not only are stable, but significantly higher than before MidAmerican entered the picture. It is that same commitment that drove us to support legislation in Salem earlier this year to increase funding for low-income assistance programs in Oregon. It’s the right thing to do, and with the help of legislators such as state Rep. George Gilman of Medford and Sen. Ryan Deckert of Beaverton we were able to get this law passed.

“However, there's even more pressure on our customers’ wallets these days as the federal government recently suspended a credit that helped the majority of Northwest electricity customers," explained Reiten. "Our at-risk customers are going to need more help from their local community agencies than ever before, and we're proud to help lead that effort.”

The funds come from several sources. For many years, Pacific Power customers have helped provide additional funding through donations to energy assistance programs. Contribution envelopes for the nonprofit organizations that administer the donated funds typically are included in customer mailings in November and February. In 2008, envelopes also will be sent out in June. Donations from Pacific Power employees, the Pacific Power Foundation and company shareholders are then added to the funds.

           “Our customers have always been very generous with their donations to help their neighbors, and Pacific Power gives directly to the programs in addition to the funds contributed by customers," said Becky Eberle, Pacific Power program manager. “It’s important to know that donations stay in local communities.”

            In Oregon, Pacific Power partners with Oregon HEAT. In Washington, the nonprofit program Project HELP is administered by The Salvation Army in Walla Walla and Yakima, and by the Northwest Community Action Center in Toppenish. The Project HELP program serving Pacific Power’s California customers is also administered by The Salvation Army.

# # #

About Pacific Power

Pacific Power is headquartered in Portland , and provides electric service to more than 713,000 customers in Oregon, Washington and California. It is part of PacifiCorp, one of the lowest-cost electricity producers in the United States, providing approximately 1.7 million customers with reliable, efficient energy. The company works to meet growing energy demand while protecting and enhancing the environment.