This oral history interview with Jill Eiland was conducted by Judy Hartman on January 21, 1988. The interview was conducted as part of the Portland General Electric Centennial Oral History Series, which marked PGE’s 100th anniversary and was used in the writing of the book “Electrifying Eden.”

In this interview, Eiland discusses her work as director of federal affairs at Portland General Electric. She describes her job duties, including lobbying the U.S. Congress; talks about the people who had previously held her position; and discusses how the job has changed. She talks about some of the legislation PGE lobbied for and against. She also discusses PGE’s relationship with Native American communities. She then talks about her decision to leave Washington, D.C., in 1985 to return to Oregon, and discusses how her job duties changed. She closes the interview by talking about philanthropic work and volunteering in the Portland community by PGE employees; about public opinion of PGE; and about how the Trojan Nuclear Power Plant sets PGE apart from other electric utilities.