The Real Story – A Column

Everyone is talking about Senate Bill 1586, which is scheduled for a hearing next week to expand Hillsboro’s Urban Growth Boundary and extend property tax waivers from 5 to 10 years.  Any of you concerned need to submit testimony or get to the Capitol on Monday- this is probably your only chance.  Catch the 411 here- https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2026R1/Measures/Overview/SB1586 .   To understand what is happening at a time like this, one has to ask many questions and take a look from 50,000 feet.  Ready to take a walk out onto the Spider’s Web?  If so, read on and let me try to lay this out for you!

What if I told you that the wealthiest companies in the world, like BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street, hold a near-controlling interest in:

1. Portland General Electric
2. NW Natural Gas
3. Pacific Power

For the purposes of this story, let’s just call them the Big Three– not the only players who own percentages of public utilities, data centers, or who invest in land and infrastructure, but by far the most powerful.  They invest directly, through LLCs and offshoot corps. and other financial vehicles, but the money can be tied back to them.

And what if I told you that those same companies also own a large percentage of the Data Centers in Hillsboro?

• This is the interactive Data Center and Eenergy Influence Map I have created with the 1,700 Acres and other major factors marked.

And those same entities are involved with the BESS Battery Installations being installed in Washington County.

Every time you turn on your lights, make a meal, or watch a movie, you are paying them.  It was one thing when they were on one side of the table.  But now they are on 3 sides.  They have us boxed in and have been squeezing us harder and harder- and we sure as hell are feeling it.

Who Owns Our Power And Energy Companies?  Do You Know?

“According to February 2026 SEC 13F/G filings, a combined block of three firms—BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street—controls approximately 24% to 32% of every major energy entity operating in Hillsboro and in Oregon, from the grid itself (PGE) to the proposed 400MW Big Meeks battery array (NextEra).”

Data Sources for Ownership Percentages

Who Owns The Data Centers In Hillsboro? The Big Three…

Hillsboro Data Center Ownership Tracking

And that is just a sampling of this Vertical power-play which we see in Hillsboro, but really don’t understand.  This brings us to Senate Bill 1586, sponsored by Senator Janeen Sollman.  The Herald already broke the story of lobbyists and landowners who have donated to the Senator, and of others carrying water for this decision.

Senator Sollman Denies Lobbying Influence On Her 1,700 Acre Hillsboro Land Grab – Senate Bill 1586 Illegitimate Already

 The Vertical Monopoly: How You Are Being Squeezed from Every Side – And You Don’t Even Know It-

To understand why SB 1586 is being pushed so aggressively, you have to stop looking at “Energy,” “Data Centers,” and “Land Use” as separate issues. In Hillsboro, they have been fused into a Vertical Monopoly—a closed-loop system in which the same global players own the supply, the infrastructure, and the customers.  The Big Three outlined above- Black Rock /Vanguard / State Street – let’s just call them “They“. When we refer to controlling shares in, or ownership of some or all of the assets involved here, we use the term “own”.

Think of it like a “Company Town” on a global scale. In a vertical monopoly, one entity controls the entire supply chain.

Here is how they have boxed all of us in:

The Supply (The Utilities): They own the companies that generate and sell you power and gas (PGE, NW Natural, Pacific Power).

The Infrastructure (The Batteries): They own the BESS installations that store that power, built and being built on rezoned farmland.

The Customer (The Data Centers): They own the data centers that consume that power at massive scales.

The “Three-Sided” Squeeze
When a single group of institutional owners—the “Big Three” aka “They”—controls all three sides of the table, the traditional “checks and balances” of a free market disappear.

As utility owners, they ask for rate hikes to build new infrastructure.

As infrastructure owners, they collect the profits from building that infrastructure.

As data center owners, they benefit from the property tax waivers and “flexible” zoning that SB 1586 provides.

The result? You pay higher utility bills to build a grid designed to serve their data centers, while the property taxes that should be funding our schools and roads are waived for a decade. It’s not just a land grab; it’s a systematic transfer of wealth from Hillsboro ratepayers to global boardrooms.

KEY POINT:  In a normal market, the utility (PGE) would negotiate with the customer (the Data Center) for a fair price. But when Vanguard, BlackRock, State Street, et al. are the largest shareholders of both, there is no negotiation—only a coordination of profit. SB 1586 is the legal means intended not only to hold this monopoly together but also to massively expand it.

Back to Sollman, the leader of promoting the interests of the Big Three –

She has selected a powerful group of Primary Sponsors (in red below) to stand with her and pass Senate Bill 1586.  So we dropped in on this group and had a look at who has been contributing to their campaigns.  The results where 110% conclusive.  The majority of our leaders who will decide on tax giveaways and the largest land expansion of the Urban Growth Boundary in Oregon history, one that will enrich the overlords, have received funds from the energy sector (PGE / NW Natural Gas / Pacific Corp)  via their political action committees.   And there are deep ties to the IBEW Local 48 and NECA.  Basically, the power grid and those who own and build it, from the top down, are now funneling immense amounts of money and influence into our community and our leaders. THEY are in charge.

Imagine 100% of the Primary sponsors have taken money from the entities that stand to make the most.  For shame.

Who Calls The Shots?  Who Lobbies, Pays For, and Directs The Decisions? All Sourced From State Records

Hillsboro Leaders in the Spotlight – Who Carries Water For The Big Three?

The Four – Timeline: Contributions vs. Key Events

• All financial figures taken from the State of Oregon – https://sos.oregon.gov/elections/Pages/campaignfinance.aspx

Excerpt from the Sollman Trip: “Senator Sollman’s own September 2023 newsletter confirms her attendance on a NW Natural-funded tour of Denmark. While she marketed it as a ‘decarbonization’ study, the $6,200 junket provided the utility—a company largely owned by Wall Street giants—exclusive access to the very legislator now sponsoring SB 1586, which paves the way for their largest industrial customers.

https://www.opb.org/article/2024/03/28/nw-natural-linked-to-another-oregon-lawmaker-trip-to-tour-danish-biogas-facilities/

The Hillsboro Industrial Expansion & SB 1586: Master Power List Who Effectively Built and Maintain the Spidersweb

This unified list identifies the primary stakeholders, strategists, and entities involved in the policy, advocacy, and development of the North Hillsboro industrial land expansion.  Connecting this spider’s web of players, while complex, is not impossible.  What we have concluded is that there is a closed loop between the politicians, the Big Three controlled utilities and their PACs,  the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, the Westside Economic Alliance, NECA, the IBEW interests, and a myriad of power players, lobbyists, and consultants (NW Land Alliance, ECO-NW, Yellow Dog, Proxy Partnership, Imperium, and others).

With these powerful players working in concert, it surely appears that there will be no stopping Senate Bill 1586.  It is, however, worth watching these actors and what they do next.  Once the connections are noted, understood, and monitored, we can more easily understand what is happening and why.

Connecting the Connected – A master list of the Big Three’s Dream Team-

1. Political Leadership & Strategic Operations

• Janeen Sollman: Oregon State Senator (Primary Sponsor, SB 1586).

  • Operational Link: Strategic client of Yellow Dog Consulting.

• Beach Pace: Mayor of Hillsboro; Westside Economic Alliance Board Member (Primary local advocate).

  • Operational Link: Campaign managed by Elizabeth Case (Hillsboro City Councilor Pace helped get elected); finance planning by Elizabeth Wilson (Imperium).

• Elizabeth Case: Hillsboro City Councilor; Owner, Yellow Dog Consulting.

  • Operational Link: Former Chair of the Washington County Chamber; manages or advises consulting/strategy for both Pace and Sollman.

• Pam Treece: Washington County Commissioner (District 2).

  • Operational Link: Former Executive Director of the Westside Economic Alliance and former executive at PacifiCorp. A Big Three General in the field.

2. Regional Advocacy & Policy Engines

Westside Economic Alliance (WEA)

• Elizabeth Mazzara Myers: Executive Director (Former Chief of Staff, Washington/Multnomah Counties).

• Nina Carlson: Board President (Director of NW Natural Government Affairs).  Top Tier Power Broker-

• Carly Riter: Board Secretary (Intel Corp); also Chair of the Washington County Chamber. Top Tier Power Broker-

• Teddy Russell: Policy Coordinator (Former intern for Senator Jeff Merkley).

• Board Members: Marshal McGrady (IBEW 48), Emily Matza (Schnitzer Properties), Todd Duwe (Perlo Construction), Mimi Doukas (AKS Engineering), Ed Trompke (Jordan Ramis, PC).

Washington County Chamber of Commerce

• Josh Tompkins: President / CEO.

• Jen Little: VP of Public Affairs (Directly manages the lobbyist contracts for the Chamber).

• Marc Farrar: Board Member (Metropolitan Land Group).

• Matt Kolasinski: Board Vice Chair (Hillsboro Hops).

3. Strategic Consultants & Lobbyists

• Andy Smith: Principal, Proxy Partnership (Former Hillsboro Government Relations Manager).

  • The Pivot: Hired by the City of Hillsboro and the Chamber, and serves the interests of the Landowner Alliance. Top Tier Power Broker-

• Inga Deckert: Partner, Proxy Partnership.

• Elizabeth Wilson: Principal, Imperium Political Strategies.

• Nanette La Du: Principal, Forward Consulting LLC.

• Jef Green: Principal, C&E Systems.  His firm handles the election finances and reporting for almost 80% of the political decision-makers we looked at, who will decide on Senate Bill 1586.

• NW Land Alliance – IR-Van –  tied to landowners and political donations.

4. Utility & Energy Leadership (The Infrastructure Base)

Portland General Electric (PGE)

• Maria Pope: President and CEO.

• Renée James: Board Member (Former President of Intel; Founder of Ampere Computing).

• Michael Millegan: Board Member (Former Verizon Executive; Cloud/Network infrastructure).

• Kristen Sheeran: VP, Policy (Former Energy Advisor to the Oregon Governor).

NW Natural

• Justin B. Palfreyman: President and CEO.

• Malia H. Wasson: Board Chair (Sand Creek Advisors).

• Sandra McDonough: Board Member (Former CEO, Oregon Business & Industry).

• Peter J. Bragdon: Board Member (General Counsel, Columbia Sportswear; Former Governor’s Chief of Staff).

PacifiCorp (Pacific Power)

• Cindy A. Crane: Board Chair (Berkshire Hathaway Energy).

• Darin Carroll: CEO.

• Natalie Hocken: Director (SVP, Berkshire Hathaway Energy).

5. Landowners, Developers & Industrial Interests

• VanDerzanden/Erickson/Ralston et al. – The record shows a consistent pattern of political donations to the politicians involved by a variety of landowners who will see massive value increases if SB 1586 passes.

• NextEra Energy: Developer of the “Big Meeks” BESS project in North Hillsboro, owned/tied to the Big Three.

• IBEW Local 48: Electrical workers union; primary labor and political funding block for industrial expansion. They have made massive political donations and will reap a massive harvest as they build out the SB 1586 lands.

Looking over this list, spending hours connecting all of these players and how they can influence this process, a few really rose to being in particular positions of power.  These are perhaps the mega influencers:

If the “Spider’s Web” has a central hub where the threads of tech, utility, and government policy meet, it is the Riter-Smith-Carlson triangle.

These three individuals aren’t just participants; they are the “Field Marshals” of the entire industrial expansion process. Here is how their “Extra Influence” works in practice:

• The “Triad of Influence”: Riter, Smith, & CarlsonPlayerPower BaseThe “Extra” Capability 

• • Carly Riter – The Corporate Anchor – Intel Corp / Chamber Chair / WEA Secretary
    • She can ensure the region’s largest employer (Intel) is “locked in” with the two most powerful lobbying groups (Chamber & WEA). She effectively speaks for the “needs” of the tech hub, providing the primary justification for the 1,700-acre grab. Although any real jobs have been hard to document over the last several years, as job losses by the thousands have racked up here in the valley.
  • Andy Smith – The Tactical Director – Proxy Partnership / City / Chamber / Landowners
    • He is the only player who works for the City of Hillsboro (public lobbyist), the Chamber (lobbyist), and the Landowner Alliance indirectly through his policies and consulting work. This gives him the “extra” ability to take a private developer’s goal and rewrite it as a “City Priority” for the legislative record.

    • The Institutional Core: Andy is the former City of Hillsboro Government Relations Manager and a participant in the 2014 “Grand Bargain” settlement negotiations.  He knew all the parties involved, the landowners, the arguments, and the players.

    • • Comments directly from the Chamber of Commerce– https://www.washingtoncountychamberor.com/proxypartnership/
      • “It has long been the desire of the Washington County Chamber Board of Directors to engage a lobbying firm to strengthen our advocacy efforts for the business community at the Oregon State Legislature. With over 2,500 bills already filed in this long Session, we are taking a proactive step to ensure that the interests of Washington County businesses are well-represented in Salem.
        • We are fortunate to be represented by Inga Deckert and Andy Smith of Proxy, experienced advocates with deep ties to Washington County and Hillsboro:

        Andy Smith is a former Government Relations Manager for the City of Hillsboro, where he championed issues in economic development, transportation, infrastructure, and public safety. With experience as a Senior Associate Lobbyist for the City of Portland and policy work in the Oregon Legislature, he has a strong background in advocating for local communities.Their expertise ensures that the voice of Washington County businesses is heard at the state level, helping shape policies that support a thriving economy.

        The Capability: He possesses the specific historical knowledge of the 2014 rural reserve agreements, making him the primary strategist for the current effort to “override” those protections on behalf of the City and Chamber.   The City of Hillsboro is paying his firm tens of thousands at this time; we cannot confirm how much he / his firm is being paid by the Washington County Chamber.

    • Nina Carlson – The Energy Engine: – NW Natural / WEA President.
      • She leads the policy engine (WEA) that creates the “consensus” for expansion, while directing government affairs for the utility (NW Natural), which needs the expansion to secure its infrastructure growth.
      • The Big Three are basiccally in the room at every meeting and on every phone call Carlson makes.

How They Coordinate the “Squeeze” Consensus Building:

Here is my take on how these three can influence the passage of Senate Bill 1586-

Concensus:   Carlson (as WEA President) can oversee the creation of policy briefs that call for more industrial land.

Validation:  Riter (as Chamber Chair) can sign off on those briefs, giving them the “stamp of approval” from the broader business community.

Execution:  Smith (as the contract lobbyist) takes that “consensus” and “validation” to Salem to tell legislators like Janeen Sollman that “everyone in Hillsboro is on the same page.”

Conclusion: Breaking the Circuit – Sweeping The Web Down

When you look at the names, the dates, and the dollars, the conclusion is unavoidable: Senate Bill 1586 is not a grassroots response to local needs. It is a carefully engineered legislative “override” designed by corporate field marshals like Riter, Smith, and Carlson—fought for by lobbyists like Smith, promoted by industry-created groups like WEA and the Washington County Chamber, and paid for by the Big Three via the energy sector PACs and others.  All of that was teed up by Janeen Sollman and her hand-picked group of leaders. The goal? To serve a vertical monopoly owned by the world’s largest institutional investors.

They have built a closed-loop system where they own the power, they own the infrastructure, they own the customers, and—as the campaign finance records suggest—they have secured the advocacy of the very leaders sworn to protect the public interest.

The “Spider’s Web” thrives in the dark. It relies on the hope that you won’t notice the revolving doors, that you won’t follow the money from a Denmark junket to a 1,700-acre land grab, and that you won’t realize your rising utility bills are funding their private expansion.

But now, the map is out. The players are named. And on Monday at the Capitol, the public has its one chance to stand in the way of the machine. Whether SB 1586 passes or not, one thing is certain: the “Big Three” and their local foot soldiers can no longer operate in the shadows.  Any of you who want to work with the Herald to document this web on paper, we need your help.

The Grand Bargain promised jobs in Hillsboro- but it brought Data Centers and tax giveaways, nearly breaking our power grid and starving our schools and local services.  The Big Three and their ilk are thriving here- they are laughing as our power and water rates skyrocket.  And we are to believe Sollman that this is all about jobs?

This Monday is more than a hearing; it’s a test of who really owns Oregon: the people, or the monopoly.

• USE YOUR VOICE – 
  Submit Your Testimony ASAP- Before MONDAY AM-  https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2026R1/Testimony/SFR/SB/1586/0000-00-00-00-00?area=Measures
• Show Up: Get to Salem and be seen and heard:
  Senate Committee On Finance and Revenue

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  Meeting Details 02/16/2026 8:00 AM, HR A

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  SB 1586

Thank you for taking a look at the Vertical Monopoly and a walk out onto the spider’s web.  Our only goal is to educate and inform our readers as to what is really happening.  This article is fact-based, opinionated, and makes suppositions and speculates on some aspects.  That is why it is a part of the Real Story- A Column.  Having said that, I don’t think I am wrong, and I think any person who is awake right now understands the forces at play here.  We are not free in a country, county, or city.  We now live in a place where we have no choice over our power and utility rates, no choice over who is ruining our environment, or, apparently, who is leading us.

With NO PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT being offered by a process being led by the Democratic leaders of our communities, one can conclude that the Oregon way is dead and that the local leaders are reflecting the same values and employing the same policies and tactics as those we are living with from the White House.  Think not? Prove me wrong- and comment below.