Portland Clean Energy Fund

It is not a brand new idea.

In fact, supporters say they were very inspired by the Portland Clean Energy Fund, which passed a couple years ago, and that's raised more than $1 billion so far, and it's allocated planned for $1.7 billion, I believe, through sometime in 2029.

And so they view that as a success while critics point at Portland and question some of the economic impacts that it's had.

Okay.

To, to fill that $60 million pot.

Of course, the one that comes to mind for almost everyone is the Portland Clean Energy Fund, which is, you know, flush with cash, but also it's been tapped before by city councils, and there's, there's always proposals for ways to, like, divert that money elsewhere.

So I think that's naturally become like, well, if it's not coming from general fund, it's probably gonna come from PCEF.

You know, Mayor Keith Wilson has come out in opposition to this measure, as has the Northwest Oregon Labor Council, which does represent most of the unions that represent city employees.

So yeah, I think whether, like, the flexibility of this measure is a good thing or a bad thing is sort of one of the questions that is gonna be posed to voters when they, when they open their ballot.

Yeah.

It's interesting you bring up the Portland Clean Energy Fund because, you know, uh, ghosts of ballot measures past, I feel like that was one where it was prescribed, and part of the reason that PCEF is such a sort of wonky situation right now is that a lot of those things were baked into the law, and now they're like, "Well, this is the letter of the law.

This is how we have to do it," and [laughs] that has led to a lot of fighting as well.

I'm Dave Miller.

The voter-passed Portland Clean Energy Fund, or PCEF, has been awarding grants for about five years now.

The tax on large retailers who do business in the city has raised far more money than expected.

Next month, Eugene residents will vote on a measure to create their own clean energy fund called ECEF.

Aya Cockram first, what is the local problem that you are trying to solve with this ballot measure?

Yeah.

Well, you know, I'll just say that as soon as the Portland Clean Energy Fund passed and started doing all of the amazing work, um, that it, that it does, we, you know, have been looking to it and wanting to replicate it for, for a long time.

But, you know, simultaneously in Eugene, we have these really ambitious climate goals, and we have just been running into the same problem over and over again, which is that, you know, any attempts to kind of meet those climate goals hits a funding problem.

Thanks.

Tomorrow on the show, the voter-passed Portland Clean Energy Fund, or PCEF, has been awarding grants for about five years from a fund far larger than was expected.

Now Eugene voters will decide whether to create their own clean energy fund.

We'll hear from both sides of that campaign.

[laughs]

And where is it, like, d- did they land on or is it still like TBD on wanting to divert money from the, uh, was it the Portland Clean Energy Fund or whatever it was? Wasn't there like a $75 million proposal floating around out there that they would divert that money to go towards renovations of the Moda Center?

It is not 100% clear how the city will get their $120 million as of right now.

That is one of the proposals.

The initiative is built in transparency and democratic oversight.

It is modeled off of an already highly successful Portland Clean Energy Fund with key adjustments to tailor it to our community and is backed by over 100 local businesses, elected leaders, unions, and organizations.

A yes vote for Measure 20-388, the Eugene Clean Energy Fund is a vote to invest in our community now and for future generations.

Tim.

Aya and Tim, when you look at Portland, what do you see?

Yeah, absolutely.

Well, obviously, the Eugene Clean Energy Fund was very closely modeled off of the Portland Clean Energy Fund.

And that's because we see how successful and impactful it has been in that community.

They just got them today.

The giveaway at Park Rose High School was funded by the Portland Clean Energy Fund.

Lindsey Huber with the Street Trust says teenagers give reactions not like anybody else.

We always see what we call the e-bike giggle, which is just that moment of unbridled joy when you get on one of these bikes and realize just how fun they are and how fun transportation can be.

This is an age group that's very excited about e-bikes and for whom, you know, cars and insurance are just so prohibitively expensive.

Everyone who received a bike today was 16 years or older.

The program is funded by the Portland Clean Energy Fund.

John Eric Smith, FM News 101.

Everyone who received a bike today was 16 years or older.

The program is funded by the Portland Clean Energy Fund.

John Eric Smith, FM News 101.

Dornbecher Children's Hospital just celebrated its 100th anniversary, but they say they need room to grow.

You can elaborate.

What is one project that the Portland Clean Energy Fund should be used for and hasn't been used? Tom, why don't you go first?

Do you mind if I take a, a pause and come back to me on this one? I'm still-

Sure

That's been a, uh, something I've been re- able to rely on for 25 years through all of my ups and downs.

Uh, in terms of a top issue, a top issue for me is using the Portland Clean Energy Fund as effectively as possible to fight climate change and mitigate the effects of climate change.

And right now, the Clean Energy Fund is allocated in a climate investment plan, but starting in 2028, we're gonna have a new CIP, and both of the things that I'd like to do with it, things that I want to emphasize, have to do with affordability.

For one thing, I think that we need to invest more in improving transit and restoring transit in order to make it easier for people to get out of their cars, which saves money.