Governor Kulongoski and Mayor Adams announce grant application for retrofit program
Recovery Act grant application includes $75 million for programs throughout the state
Portland, Ore. — Governor Ted Kulongoski and Portland Mayor Sam Adams today announced the grant application for $75 million in
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) funds for residential and commercial energy retrofits across the state. If Oregon is successful in the national competitive grant process, the state will be poised to help retrofit thousands of homes and buildings putting people across the state to work.
The grant opportunity comes from the U.S. Department of Energy’s
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program with funding from the Recovery Act. The competitive grant program allows entities across the nation the opportunity to compete for major federal dollars to produce large scale neighborhood energy efficiency.
“This grant application is exactly the kind of public-private partnership that was envisioned when the Recovery Act was first enacted,” said Governor Kulongoski “By bringing partners across the state together and building off of our established strengths we have the opportunity to showcase to the nation how an energy efficient community can look. I want to thank the City of Portland and Mayor Adams for their leadership in making this grant opportunity a reality.”
The centerpiece of the proposal is a
Clean Energy Works Oregon program that would result in energy retrofitting a significant number of homes and commercial buildings across the state. Building owners and tenants will have the opportunity to pay back energy efficiency loans on their utility bills or property tax bills.
“The City of Portland and our partners are proud of the innovative, sustainability-driven work we’ve done so far with Clean Energy Works,” said Mayor Adams. “We’re very pleased to collaborate with Governor Kulongoski to bring the energy efficiency industry up to scale statewide.”
The City of Portland collaborated with the Oregon Department of Energy, Energy Trust of Oregon, NW Natural, Pacific Power, Portland General Electric and others to build off the successful Clean Energy Works Portland model and integrate with the Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Technology Act (
HB 2626), passed by the Oregon Legislature in 2009.
Clean Energy Works Oregon is supported by a
financial strategy that leverages federal funding by attracting significant private capital to Oregon. The proposal highlights training, workforce development, business support and contracting standards to ensure economic opportunity for low-income residents and historically underserved populations.
If fully funded, the proposal is expected to result in the following benefits over the next six years:
· Create and retain approximately 11,000 career-pathway jobs;
· Retrofit 76,000 homes and small businesses and over 1,100 commercial buildings, representing nearly 42 million square feet of commercial space;
· Catalyze over $1 billion of economic activity in the state of Oregon;
· Save 3.6 million
MBTUs annually for measure-life savings of 67 million MBTUs; and
· Reduce carbon dioxide emissions by an average of 32,000 metric tons annually for measure-life reductions of 7.1 million metric tons.
Multiple jurisdictions across the state joined in the proposal, including Hood River, Astoria, Eugene, the Southern Central Oregon Economic Development Department, Gresham, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego, Clackamas County, Multnomah County, Washington County, Beaverton and Metro.
Others supporting the proposal include the entire Congressional delegation, 19 legislators, labor unions, foundations and community-based organizations.
Announcements of grant awards will take place in early spring 2010.
Stay tuned for more updates on how our odds look for securing this grant opportunity.
Growing the Choir: Engaging Business Leaders in Sustainability
Round 2 of Beyond 2020 is titled, “Growing the Choir: Engaging Business Leaders in Sustainability.” This participant-driven event is sponsored by Peter Korchnak and Renee Spears. I’ve registered and look forward to seeing what kind of synergies and dynamic outcomes can come from this Open Space format. Since this format relies on attendees for its content and scope, I’ll have more to tell after the event. I encourage you to consider it. As principles, ideas, and challenges of “sustainability” get echoed and bolstered in many vibrant pockets of town, this event seeks to find ways to spread the awareness and actions into new territories, hence the title, “Growing the Choir.”
Here are the starter questions that frame the discussions for this (un)conference.
- Who could we be talking to besides ourselves? What is the best way to engage business leaders who hold different values (for example, profit over planet)? How do people shift from a focus on narrowly defined self-interest to valuing community and environmental goals?
- What are the obstacles for adopting sustainability in business and how do we overcome them? How can we make sustainability more comprehensible, appealing, and inclusive? What immediate and long-term actions can we agree to take to grow the choir?
Come to the next Beyond 2020 to offer and seek answers to these questions.
Submit ideas for sessions, and join in on January 21st to lead your session.
December 10, 2009 · Filed Under events
This is a remarkable example of thoughtful resource re-use. You’d be amazed by what has been recliamed and repurposed, even if it appears to be new. Where is this, and what does this newsprint have to do with green building? Email me your thoughts.
If you think you know where it is, feel free to
contact me or comment. You can also
explore more images of Portland’s built environment, cultivated landscapes, and raw surroundings
here.
The Sunrose @ 28th + SE Burnside
The Sunrose Condominiums at 28th & Burnside are the latest contribution from HOLST Architecture. By design (and location), these 32 homes offer distinguished, vibrant urban living.
Listed by Eric Hagstette and Tracy Wiens of Meadows Group, the homes are now available for sale. Prices range from $250,000 to $510,000.
contact me for for more details, or to arrange a visit.
More from HOLST Architecture: Holst has been making their mark on Portland for years. Here’s just a sampling of their recent contributions. Contact me for more information about any of the projects you see below.
Agent Profile
In addition to offering sound real estate services, we bring a broad awareness of sustainable living and design to our practice. We thrive on making connections that help clients live and invest in alignment with their values, while supporting our local community, economy, and environment. Contact David and Steve today to learn how your next realty decision can enhance the place you call home. 
