By October 1, 2001, Portland General Electric (PGE) and PacifiCorp must provide their customers the following options (Section 2, 4, and 4a):

• Direct access for nonresidential customers,
• A portfolio of options (such as market-based and green rates) for residential customers,
• A cost-of-service rate option for residential and small commercial customers (the PUC may require that this option be offered to other customers), and
• Default service for nonresidential customers.

PGE and PacifiCorp shall collect $5 million on an annual basis for low-income bill payment assistance beginning January 1, 2000, increasing to $10 million annually once direct access is offered (Section 3).

The PUC is directed to:

• Ensure that direct access does not cause unwarranted cost shifting (Section8),
• Determine transition charges or credits (Section 8),
• Develop policies to eliminate barriers to the development of a competitive retail market (Section 6),
• Certify electricity service suppliers and establish other consumer protections (Section 14),
• Adopt various rules necessary to implement the Act (Section 15), and
• Determine whether implementation of Sections 2 (direct access) and 6 (market structure provisions) would have an adverse effect on the utility’s ability to access low-cost federal power on behalf of its customers, in which case the main provisions of the bill would not become operative (Section 18).

  A consumer-owned utility (a municipal utility, cooperative, or PUD) can decide whether and under what terms and conditions it will offer its customer direct access or portfolio options (Section 24). Once a consumer-owned utility offers direct access, it shall collect from eligible customers a public purposes charge (Section 27).

  Cities can collect privilege taxes from distribution utilities providing direct access through volumetric charges equivalent to the existing gross revenue fees (Section 29).