For Soledad Molina and her four children, the basics — light, heat, cooling, even a way to cook — are under constant threat.
The 45-year-old Portland mother fell behind on her electricity bills last winter as rates soared and the region was hit by extreme weather, racking up a balance of more than $1,000. In June, Portland General Electric shut off her power for a day and night. A state assistance program helped pay the balance, but reconnection fees and new charges quickly piled up again.
Molina, who lost her job cleaning houses last year, also fell behind on rent payments and received an eviction notice this fall, forcing her to choose between utilities and housing. Today, she again owes PGE hundreds of dollars and fears another shutoff at any moment…