Eugene Utility Bills Rise About 7% Under 2027 Plan
Electric and water customers, including small businesses, should plan for higher monthly bills if the 2027 budget is approved.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Utilities
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EWEB commissioners on Tuesday directed staff to move forward with a proposed $502 million 2027 budget that advances a second water source and treatment plant on the Willamette River. The budget defers about $100 million in large projects over the next 10 years, and Eugene-area electric and water customers would see bills rise starting with bills issued on or after Feb. 1, 2027.
Why it matters
Eugene relies on a single water source and a single treatment plant, so the second Willamette facility addresses a concentrated supply risk. The deferrals are intended to soften the impact on customer bills as affordability pressures grow, aging infrastructure and risks persist, and federal funding shrinks.
The proposed 2027 budget totals $502 million, with about $130 million for projects that help electric and water systems withstand disruption and roughly $333 million for daily operations. Projected monthly bill increases are about $9 for a small home or apartment and $18 for an all-electric single-family home, an approximate 7% rise for both, and commissioners added $100,000 in bill assistance, bringing 2027 funding to $2.2 million.
The players
Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB)
A community-owned, not-for-profit utility serving Eugene that provides electric and water service and sets rates through a volunteer elected board.
The details
The 2027 budget advances a second water source and treatment plant on the Willamette River, a project representing about two-thirds of EWEB's planned water infrastructure spending over the next decade. Electric infrastructure is also being rebuilt at the Jessen Substation in West Eugene, and the budget includes dam safety and fish passage upgrades at the Carmen-Smith hydroelectric project. Deferring about $100 million in large projects over the next 10 years is the mechanism the utility is using to limit near-term bill pressure, while the proposed prices would take effect on bills issued on or after Feb. 1, 2027.
Timeline
Tuesday (November 2026): Commissioners directed staff to move forward with the proposed 2027 budget.
Dec. 1, 2026: The Board holds a final review and vote on the budget.
Feb. 1, 2027: New prices start with bills issued on or after this date.
Next 10 years: About $100 million in large projects is deferred.
Market Landscape
The proposal positions Eugene's utility to diversify a water system that currently depends on one source and one treatment plant. Its approach of deferring about $100 million in large projects while still advancing resilience spending reflects the tradeoff many community-owned utilities face between infrastructure risk and customer affordability.
Commercial and residential electric and water customers should plan for a monthly increase of about $9 for small homes and apartments and about $18 for all-electric single-family homes if the proposal is approved. Businesses with significant utility spending should factor the 2027 rate change into cost forecasts once the Board votes.
The takeaway
Operators in Eugene should treat the Dec. 1 Board vote as the signal that sets their 2027 utility cost baseline. Calendar the Feb. 1, 2027 effective date and review how a roughly 7% bill increase would flow through their operating budgets.
What happens next
The Board's final review and vote on the 2027 budget is scheduled for Dec. 1, 2026, and new prices would begin with bills issued on or after Feb. 1, 2027.
Further reading
For broader context on how utilities plan infrastructure and rates, explore more Utilities coverage.
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