Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Oregon Public Utility Commission announced Tuesday, that Portland General Electric is going to have to refund more than $33 million to customers. Kristian Foden-Vencil has more.

This decision reaches back to the era of the Trojan Nuclear Plant.

PGE collected money to cover various costs at the plant, which was closed in 1992.

The Public Utility Commission ordered this refund after the courts rejected a plan to return the money via customer rates.

Bob Valdez, of the PUC, says customers will now have to file some sort of claim.

Bob Valdez: “We’ll be placing ads in the newspapers, reaching out to customers themselves and doing bill inserts to educate customers of the fact that this refund money is available and how the folks can make an application for that refund money.”

PGE says it is disappointed by the refund order. It hasn’t decided whether to appeal.

Customer advocates might also decide to go back to court.