Kotek Appoints Karin Power to the Public Utility Commission

Power, an environmental lawyer, served in the House and is currently Kotek’s natural resources adviser.

Karin Power (Gary Chandler)
By Nigel Jaquiss

Gov. Tina Kotek today released a slew of new appointments to the state’s 265 boards and commissions. Among the more interesting names on the list: Karin Power, a former state representative from Milwaukie who currently serves as Kotek’s natural resources adviser.

Power served as a Democratic state representative for House District 41 (Milwaukie and Sellwood) from 2017 to 2023 and spent a decade as an in-house lawyer for the Freshwater Trust before joining Kotek’s staff.

If her appointment is approved by the Oregon Senate in February, Power will resign June 1 and join the three-member Public Utility Commission. That agency sets rates for natural gas and electric utilities, an increasingly contentious role as wildfires, state carbon policy, and growing demand from data centers have complicated matters.

If approved, Power would replace Megan Decker on the commission. Decker’s second four-year term expires March 31.

This story was produced by the Oregon Journalism Project, a nonprofit investigative newsroom for the state of Oregon. OJP seeks to inform, engage, and empower Oregonians with investigative and watchdog reporting that makes a significant impact at the state and local levels. Its stories appear in partner newspapers across the state. Learn more at oregonjournalismproject.org.

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