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 Al Alexanderson, Portland General Electric Company

Alexanderson is the vice president for rates and regulatory affairs at Portland General Electric Company. His responsibilities include least-cost planning and demand-side resource evaluation. He received his bachelor of science degree from Hillsdale College and his law degree from the University of Michigan School of Law. He served as assistant attorney general for Oregon from 1972 to 1979, emphasizing economic regulation and antitrust law. He joined PGE in 1979 and has served as deputy general counsel, vice president of finance and president of Portland General Exchange, a power marketing affiliate.

His legal practice and his marketing and rates management experience covers a wide range of retail and wholesale pricing questions. He frequently represents investor-owned utility associations in matters involving wholesale power and transmission pricing. He lives in West Linn, Oregon, with his wife and two children.
1. What is the best thing about the recommendations? The best thing is that we have provided an opportunity for the Northwest to both meet its environmental obligations and receive the long-term benefits of a reliable power supply. This is only an opportunity, not a guarantee. Now we will have to act to make it certain.
2. What is the most challenging thing about the recommendations? The most challenging is that there is not agreement yet on how to share these benefits and provide rate equity to millions of residential and small farm customers.
3. Why should people care about the recommendations? The Steering Committee has provided a draft road map to restructuring the Northwest Power industry. It will affect their power bills, and the way they buy electricity for decades by empowering consumers to choose what they buy and from whom they buy it.