Issue #255, April 2026

Please Plant Trees Away from Power Lines

Trees growing too close to power lines can cause interruptions in electric service, and may even put people in danger.

Storms can cause trees and limbs to fall onto power lines, disrupting service and creating hazardous conditions. Even in good weather, a tree growing too close to power lines can endanger lives.

You can help. When planting trees, please keep them at least 30 feet away from overhead power lines. More clearance between trees, limbs, and power lines helps reduce the risk of an incident.

Receive Rebates for EV Charger Installations

If you're considering installing an electric vehicle charger, please contact us before beginning the work.

We offer rebates of $250 for qualifying Level 2 residential chargers, and $1,000 for qualifying Level 2 and Level 3 commercial chargers.

Request a Free Home Energy Evaluation

Did you know we offer free home energy evaluations to customers who heat their homes with electricity?

These can help you find ways to cut energy waste, which helps keep your bills lower.

Older homes typically benefit the most from energy evaluations.

Interested? Request one today.

Please Slow Down, Move Over for Our Crews

When you see our crews working alongside the road, please slow down or move over. This will help keep our linemen and tree trimmers safe. In Oregon, it's the law.

Typically caution signs, flaggers, and cones will alert you that we have a crew up ahead. When you see these indicators, please slow down to at least five miles per hour below the posted speed limit, or move over a lane if that is a safe option.

Thank you for helping keep our crews safe.

Please Don't Post Signs on Utility Poles

Please do not hang anything on utility poles.

Staples, nails, and tacks used to hang signs and flyers damage our poles. They shorten the lifespans of the poles, which increases our maintenance costs. These costs are paid by our electric rates.

Usually our linemen work from bucket trucks, but sometimes they still need to climb poles. Objects used to hang flyers create dangerous obstacles.

Thank you for helping us maintain a safe, reliable electrical distribution system.

Keep Yourself Safe from Scam Attempts

Please be wary of criminals posing as Columbia River PUD employees.

Scammers may call, text, or email you threatening to shut off your power if you don't pay immediately. We will always make multiple attempts to contact you if your power is scheduled to be disconnected for non-payment.

If you ever receive a call or message like this, please hang up and call us directly at (503) 397-1844. Here are some other suggestions to help protect you against scammers.