OJTA and partners file for an emergency disconnection moratorium for all Oregonians
Oregon families are facing a perfect storm of challenges right now. The federal government has cut critical programs like SNAP, LIHEAP, and Medicaid at the same time that a shutdown has disrupted daily life for thousands of people. Folks are losing supports that help them keep the lights on, stay healthy, and put food on the table, just as the holidays are about to start. For many households, especially frontline communities already carrying the burdens of low wages, racism, and climate impacts, these cuts have real and immediate consequences.
That’s why OJTA joined the Energy Justice Advocates, community action agencies, and the Citizens Utility Board to file for an emergency moratorium on all utility disconnections on November 13. Gas and electric companies have offered some voluntary protections tied to the shutdown, but these protections aren’t enough and they aren’t built to last. We’re calling for a stronger, statewide moratorium that covers all for-profit utility customers through April 2026. No one should lose heat or power while bearing the brunt of overlapping crises.
Families are also feeling the impact of recent changes to the way SNAP benefits are calculated in Oregon. Most households will now have their energy assistance counted as income. This shift reduces benefits for about 37,000 low-income Oregonians at the exact moment when groceries are already out of reach for many. Households that rely on LIHEAP and SNAP are seeing their food budgets shrink overnight, and more reductions are coming as people recertify. These changes deepen racial and economic inequities that Oregon has never fully addressed.
At the same time, immigration enforcement has intensified across the state. Many immigrant families are afraid to leave home, which means missed paychecks, lost jobs, and even more stress on already stretched budgets. Some households are also navigating the trauma of having loved ones detained and facing the enormous costs of legal defense. These are the same frontline communities that live with the daily impacts of pollution, wildfire smoke, rising utility bills, and housing instability. They shouldn’t be forced to face these crises without help.
A Just Transition means we don’t abandon people when systems fail. It means we protect the communities who carry the heaviest burdens and make sure they can live with dignity, stability, and power. Right now that starts with stopping utility shutoffs. Voluntary actions from utilities are not enough. We’re asking for a clear and enforceable order from the Public Utility Commission to ensure consistent protections for every household, no matter where they live or who their utility is.
The Commission will consider our request on December 30. In the meantime, our policy team is collecting community testimonies to ensure frontline Oregonians are heard and to push for the protections people need to stay safe this winter and beyond.
