PORTLAND, Ore. (October 27, 2026) — Pacific Power has earned a 2026 Achievement Award from the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies for using AI-powered analysis to help identify Oregon customers who may qualify for bill assistance. The effort contributed to about 9,000 additional enrollments in the company’s Oregon Low-Income Discount program.
The award recognized Pacific Power’s data-driven approach to connecting customers facing financial challenges with assistance.
Using Bidgely’s UtilityAI-powered Analytics Workbench, Pacific Power reviewed census information, customer data, household energy use and communication preferences, identifying about 37,000 additional households that may be eligible. The analysis helped the company focus its outreach on those customers. The Low-Income Discount program offers bill discounts between 20% to 80% for customers at or below 60% of state median income, adjusted for household size.
The AI-powered analysis was used to inform customer outreach, not to determine eligibility. Customers chose whether to apply, and applications continued through the program’s established process. Customer information remained protected and was handled under Pacific Power’s existing privacy policies.
Between 2025 and 2026, enrollment in the Low-Income Discount program grew from about 69,000 to 78,000 customers. Awareness of Pacific Power’s assistance programs rose 10% in the J.D. Power Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study, while satisfaction among program participants held steady at about 90%.
“Affordability begins with making sure customers know what help is available and how to get it,” said James Owen, vice president of customer experience and innovation at Pacific Power. “Reaching the right customers with the right message is a prudent use of our outreach resources, and it means more Oregon families are receiving savings they already qualify for.”
Campaign results also helped Pacific Power identify potential barriers in the application process. When the company found that some customers started but did not complete an application, it updated its outreach messages to remind applicants to have their account number and income information available before beginning.
“Technology is most valuable when it helps solve a real customer problem,” said Barbara Modey, customer satisfaction market research manager. “The data showed us not only who to reach, but where customers were getting stuck. That let us adjust our messages so more customers could finish their applications.”
Oregon customers can learn more about the Low-Income Discount program and other bill assistance options, and apply online, at PacificPower.net/Assistance or by calling 1-888-221-7070.