State Representative Vicki Berger, who was a driving force behind a 2005 effort to create a public entity to buy Portland General Electric, is introducing a bill to allow Oregon Community Power to use eminent domain to buy PGE.

"I think if PGE has $4.5 million to give away to Peggy Fowler, their rates are too high," Berger says. "I’m aware of other models such as Seattle Power and Light where public ownership works just fine."

Public Utility Districts, which are common throughout Oregon generally charge consumers rates that are roughly half of those charged by private utilities such as PGE.