Trojan's History

Oregon’s only nuclear power plant opened in 1976. It cost $450 million – $1.5 billion in today's dollars. Trojan permanently ceased operating in November 1992 after 16 years, less than half its expected 35-year life span. In early 1993, PGE decided to close Trojan.

In 1993, the Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) allowed PGE to "continue" charging ratepayers both for return of the investment over the original expected 35-year life of Trojan and a 13% profit before taxes, for a total of $251 million of Trojan investment and $304 million for profit over the following 17 years. In addition, PGE was allowed to charge ratepayers $300 million in decommissioning costs over 17 years.

This was allowed in spite of voter passage of Measure 9 in 1978 which enacted ORS 757.355, stating: No public utility shall, directly or indirectly, by any device, charge, demand, collect or receive from any customer rates which are derived from a rate base which includes within it any construction, building installation or real or personal property not presently used for providing utility service.  Read more