The Ore. PUC opened a pole rulemaking to address standards for in...

The Ore. PUC opened a pole rulemaking to address standards for installation and maintenance of utility poles, and rights and responsibilities of parties that attach to those poles. The PUC said its purpose is to ensure poles and lines of telecom, cable and electric providers are installed, used and maintained in a safe and efficient manner. The rulemaking will run on 2 tracks. The first will address inspections, facility owner responsibilities, vegetation management and safety issues. The 2nd track will address pole attachment rules including rates, terms, conditions and dispute resolution processes. The PUC hopes to have draft rules by Aug.