POWER OF ATTORNEY


     KNOW ALL BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and
appoints C. J. Rue, the undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:

     (1)  execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's
          capacity as an officer of and/or director of and/or beneficial owner
          of greater than ten percent of a class of equity securities registered
          under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
          (the "Exchange Act"), of Northwest Natural Gas Company, an Oregon
          corporation (the "Company"), Forms 3, 4, and 5 in accordance with
          Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act and the rules thereunder;

     (2)  do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned
          which may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such
          Forms 3, 4, or 5 and timely file any such form with the United States
          Securities and Exchange Commission, any stock exchange or similar
          authority, and the Company; and

     (3)  take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the
          foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of
          benefit to, in the best interest of, or legally required by, the
          undersigned, it being understood that the documents executed by such
          attorney-in-fact on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this Power
          of Attorney shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and
          conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in such
          attorney-in-facts's discretion.

     The undersigned hereby grants such attorney-in-fact full power and
authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite,
necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers
herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or
could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or revocation,
hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or such
attorney-in-fact's substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be
done by virtue of this Power of Attorney and the rights and powers herein
granted. The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing attorney-in-fact, in
serving in such capacity at the request of the undersigned, is not assuming, nor
is the Company assuming, any of the undersigned's responsibilities to comply
with Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

     This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the
undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4, and 5 with respect to the
undersigned's holdings of and transactions in securities issued by the Company,
unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing delivered to the
foregoing attorney-in-fact.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be
executed as of the 18th day of September, 2002.


                                            /s/ Richelle Luther
                                         --------------------------------
                                                Richelle T. Luther