Portland
City Scorecard Rank
11
Portland, OR
59.50Scored out of 100Updated 10/2020
Community-Wide Initiatives
Score: 7.5 out of 15 points
Community-Wide Summary List All
The City of Portland’s 2015 Climate Action Plan includes the city’s sustainability goals.
Last updated: September 2021
Community-Wide Climate Mitigation and Energy GoalsList All
Climate Mitigation Goal
The Climate Action Plan establishes a community-wide greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal of 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. The plan includes an interim goal of a 40% emission reduction below 1990 level by 2030 for both the city and Multnomah County. In 2021, the city adopted city-specific emissions reduction targets of 50% below 1990 levels by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050. Based on ACEEE’s analysis of past years emissions data, ACEEE projects that the city will not achieve its near-term community-wide GHG emissions reduction goal as established by the Climate Action Plan.
Energy Reduction Goal
The Climate Action Plan includes a goal to reduce total energy use 25% in all buildings built before 2010 by 2025.
Renewable Energy Goal
Portland City Council passed Resolution No. 37289 which established goals of supplying 100% of community-wide electricity from renewable energy resource by 2035, and supplying 100% of all community energy needs with renewable sources by 2050.
Last updated: September 2021
Equity-Driven Approaches to Clean Energy Planning, Implementation, and EvaluationList All
Equitable Community Outreach
Portland's Zero Cities Project, which aims to achieve increased racial equity and a net-zero carbon buildings sector, recruited Verde to identify zero carbon building policies that intersect with community priorities. Several other community-based organizations have joined the project's planning process, including Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO), Coalition of Communities of Color (CCC), Organizing People/Activating Leaders Environmental Justice Oregon (OPAL) and Portland African American Leadership Forum (PAALF). Together, these community organizations will lead a community engagement process on behalf of the Zero Cities Project, with an ultimate goal of delivering a roadmap, report, and resolution to Portland's City Council.
Equitable decision-making
Representatives from six community organizations serving underserved communities were involved in an Equity Working Group as part of the 2015 Climate Action Plan development process. The city paid the representatives a stipend for their participation and some participated in the Plan’s steering committee.
Equity Accountability Measures
Portland requires city departments to use the Budget Equity Assessment Tool on budget proposals and base budgets.
Last updated: September 2021
Clean Distributed Energy ResourcesList All
Portland's Fire Station 1 features a city-owned microgrid installation with rooftop solar and storage. The city hopes to use the lessons from this project to implement a larger, community-wide system in the future.
Last updated: September 2021
Mitigation of Heat Islands List All
UHI Mitigation Goal
Portland has urban heat island mitigation goals in its 2015 Climate Action Plan to reduce the city’s impervious surface area by 600 acres and increase the urban tree canopy to cover at least one-third of the city by 2030.
UHI Policies and Programs
The City has a stormwater manual that requires all new development to manage 100% of stormwater onsite. Green infrastructure strategies such as rain gardens, ecoroofs and bioswales are key compliance methods.
The city has adopted a private tree protection ordinance and other polices for new construction that require tree planting.
The City’s Green Building Policy requires ecoroofs on public projects.
Last updated: September 2021
Buildings Policies
Score: 13.5 out of 30 points
Buildings Summary List All
The City of Portland is required to adhere to the 2014 Oregon Energy Efficiency Specialty Code. The city has adopted both commercial and single-family home benchmarking policies. The city offers financing options for commercial property owners to pursue energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy installations. Portland mandates a low-energy use requirement for buildings.
Last Updated: June 2021
Building Energy CodesList All
Overview
The State of Oregon requires its local jurisdictions to follow the 2014 Oregon Energy Efficiency Specialty Code for residential and commercial construction. The 2014 Oregon Energy Efficiency Specialty Code is more stringent than the 2009 IECC for residential buildings and is more stringent than the ASHRAE 90.1-2010 for commercial buildings. Portland advocates for stricter energy codes at the State-level. Additionally, the city is a key member of the ZERO coalition, which has been holding the state Building Codes Division accountable for implementation of the Governor's Executive Order 17-20 specific to residential and commercial building codes. To learn more about the building energy codes for the State of Oregon, please visit the State Policy Database.
Commercial
Commercial properties comply with the 2014 Oregon Energy Efficiency Specialty Code. The city’s zEPI score for their commercial energy code is 59.9.
Residential
Residential properties comply with the 2014 Oregon Energy Efficiency Specialty Code. The city’s zEPI score for their residential energy code is 56.4.
Solar-readiness policies
The Governor of the State of Oregon signed Executive Order NO. 17-20 in 2017 that directs the State Building Codes Division to amend the building code to require all newly constructed buildings in the state to include solar-ready infrastructure beginning on October 1, 2020 for residential projects and October 1, 2022 for commercial projects.
EV-charging readiness and infrastructure policies
The Governor of the State of Oregon signed Executive Order NO. 17-20 in 2017 that directs the State Building Codes Division to amend the building code to require all newly constructed buildings in the state to include EV-ready infrastructure beginning on October 1, 2020 for residential projects and October 1, 2022 for commercial projects.
Low-energy use requirements
Per the Green Building Policy, all new building constructions and major renovations over 50,000 square feet must achieve LEED Gold certification, while all new constructions and major renovations less than 50,000 square feet may achieve LEED Gold certification or Earth Advantage at the Gold level.
Last Updated: June 2021
Building Energy Code Compliance and EnforcementList All
Portland does not have internal staff solely dedicated to energy code compliance. The city requires plan reviews, inspections, and performance testing for commercial properties. Residential building owners must complete an energy efficiency checklist and receive an inspection. Portland previously provided upfront support for code compliance, but private sector entity Earth Advantage now provides support.
Last Updated: June 2021
Policies Targeting Existing BuildingsList All
Commercial and multifamily benchmarking
The city’s Commercial Building Energy Performance Reporting Ordinance requires buildings of 20,000 square feet and greater to benchmark energy performance.
Single-family energy disclosure
Portland adopted the Home Energy Score Policy by unanimous decision in 2016. The Policy requires home sellers to disclose home energy performance scores. The home seller must also disclose associated costs and cost-effective approaches to improving efficiency.
Energy audit requirements
Per the Home Energy Score Policy, home sellers must complete an energy assessment of their homes prior to listing the property for sale.
Incentives
Portland offers a financing option for energy efficiency improvements through its commercial property assessed clean energy (C-PACE) financing program.
The city also grants development bonuses to buildings meeting energy efficiency standards.
Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) provides funding and support to non-profits pursuing climate related projects and grants. Funding can be used for a wide variety of actions including paying for a contractor to conduct an energy audit of your building or sending staff to a training to learn more about clean energy
Last Updated: June 2021
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Workforce DevelopmentList All
The City of Portland has significant body of public policies directing inclusive procurement and contracting processes. The City has Diverse Business Enterprise goals for all public contracts. The City supports a number of programs to support small and minority business better work with public agencies. In addition, they have procurement policies that incentivize work with firms that are certified as Disadvantaged, Minority-Owned, Women-Owned, Emerging Small Businesses, and Service Disabled Veterans Business Enterprises. The Portland City Council has adopted a Model Community Benefits Agreement for its agencies.
The Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) provides minigrants to organizations for a variety of climate-related actions including workforce development. PCEF specifically addresses priority populations including women, people of color, people with disabilities, and people who are chronically underemployed.
Last Updated: June 2021
Transportation
Score: 19.5 out of 30 points
Transportation Summary List All
The transportation authority serving the City of Portland is the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon. Tri-Met manages public transportation for Portland, including bus, train, light-rail, and street car service. Portland’s transit services are planned and run by Metro, which serves all of the Portland urbanized area.
Last updated: January 2017
Sustainable Transportation Planning List All
Sustainable Transportation Plan
Portland’s 2035 Transportation System Plan includes specific sustainable transportation policies including one to reduce carbon emissions, air pollution, water pollution, and reliance on vehicles. As part of the City’s Portland Plan and Climate Action Plan, the city council has adopted targets to reduce the number of miles Portlanders travel by car to 11 miles per day on average by 2035.
VMT/GHG Targets and Stringency
As part of the City’s Climate Action Plan, the city council has adopted targets to reduce VMT 30% below 2008 levels by 2030. This is equivalent to an annual reduction of 1.4%.
Progress Achieved Toward VMT/GHG Targets
Metro, the Portland area regional government tracks VMT. VMT has decreased over the past several years.
Last Updated: December 2021
Location Efficiency List All
Location Efficient Zoning Codes
The Portland 2035 Comp Plan sets to focus growth in our centers and corridors, which are the most walkable, transit and active transportation connected neighborhoods, including residential and mixed use areas.
Residential Parking Policies
There is no parking minimum for developments adding up to 30 units on a site within 500 feet of frequent transit service. There is no parking requirement for affordable units provided anywhere in the city.
Location Efficiency Incentives and Disclosure
In Portland, under the new 2035 Comprehensive Plan, the vast majority of housing production is in the mixed-use format, so no longer require these incentives.
Last Updated: December 2021
Mode Shift List All
Mode Shift Targets
Portland set goals to raise the bicycle commute mode share to 25%, and the walking mode to 10%.
Progress Achieved Toward Mode Shift Targets
Portland comprehensively tracks trip data. Between the implementation of the target and now, drive alone trips dropped from 61% to 59%, carpool trips increased from 9% to 9.44%, telecommuting increased from 7% to 8%, walking decreased from 6% to 5%, biking increased from 5% to 5.4%, and transit increased 11% to 12%
Complete Streets
Oregon’s complete streets policy is the only state policy to cover municipal roads in addition to state-owned roads, and the city has made significant efforts to incorporate complete streets language in a range of supporting transportation and land use policies. Nevertheless, the city does not have an NCSC-recognized complete streets policy
Last Updated: December 2021
Public Transit List All
Transportation Funding
The transportation entities that serve the City of Portland have received $498,893,649.80 on average annually between 2015 and 2019. That equates to roughly $318.78 per capita between 2015 and 2019 within the Authority's service area.
Access to Transit Services
The Transit Connectivity Index measures transit service levels. It is based on the number of bus routes and train stations within walking distance for households scaled by frequency of service. The City of Portland Transit Connectivity Index value is 8.9, scoring 1.5 points in the City Scorecard.
Last Updated: December 2021
Efficient VehiclesList All
Vehicle Purchase Incentives
At this time, the City of Portland does not offer incentives to purchase hybrid, plug-in, or EV vehicles.
Vehicle Infrastructure Incentives
Both of Portland's electric utilities have grant programs for EV charging infrastructure.
EV Charging Locations
The City has 358 charging ports available for public use, equivalent to 54.7 ports per 100,000 people.
Electric School Bus Goal
Portland does not have an electric school bus goal.
EV Transit Bus Goal
The transit agency Trimet committed By 2040 to having a 100 percent alternative-fuel fleet. They are currently piloting electric buses.
Last Updated: December 2021
Freight System EfficiencyList All
Portland has a Sustainable Freight Strategy in place that identifies key action related to truck parking and loading zones, street design best practices, last mile solutions, centralized freight distribution districts, off-hours delivery, and electric vehicle delivery and multi-modal freight strategies.
Last Updated: December 2021
Clean, Efficient Transportation for Low-Income CommunitiesList All
Affordable New TOD Housing Policy
In Portland, most projects providing more than 20 units are required to provide affordable units under the inclusionary housing regulation, and developments of that size are allowed only by the higher-density zoning in areas served by frequent service transit.
Connecting Existing Affordable Housing Stock to Efficient Transportation Options
The City helps support fare assistance for low income transit riders for seniors, Medicare eligible and people with disabilities. Portland also provides discounted membership for Biketown.
Last Updated: December 2021
Energy & Water Utilities
Score: 11.5 out of 15 points
Energy & Water Utilities Summary List All
Portland General Electric (PGE), an investor-owned utility (IOU), is the primary electric utility serving the City of Portland. Northwest Natural Gas (NW Natural), an IOU, is the primary natural gas utility serving the city of Portland. All gas and electric utility ratepayer-funded energy efficiency programs available to the City of Portland are run through the Energy Trust of Oregon. The utilities partner with the city to increase participation in the efficiency programs. The State of Oregon requires spending and savings targets for its utilities through an EERS and efficiency requirements in utility IRPs. To learn more about the state requirements for electric and gas efficiency, please visit the Oregon page of the State Database.
The Portland Water Bureau, a municipally-run utility, provides drinking water to the City of Portland. The Portland Environmental Services Bureau provides both wastewater treatment and stormwater management services.
Last Updated: July 2021
Electricity and Natural Gas Efficiency SavingsList All
In 2019, Energy Trust of Oregon achieved 281,500 MWh of net electric savings at the meter, which represents 1.63% of its retail sales across the utility’s entire service jurisdiction, not just Portland. In 2019. In 2019, Energy Trust of Oregon spent $95,633,932 on electric energy efficiency programs, which represents 5.34% of its retail revenue. In 2019, Energy Trust achieved 4.95 MMtherms of net natural gas savings, which represents 0.72% of its retail sales, and spent $20,812,202 on natural gas efficiency programs, which equates to $34.30 per residential customer.
PGE offers electric efficiency incentives and technical assistance to residential and commercial/industrial customers. NW Natural similarly offers natural gas efficiency incentives and programs to residential and business customers.
The City of Portland Clean Energy program leverages strong partnership relationships—including partnerships with PGE, NW Natural, and Energy Trust of Oregon—to deliver technical advice, outreach, and marketing support to a variety of energy programs. Portland partners with its energy utilities through grants delivered from the fund. The city also encourages efficiency and conservation through Sustainability at Work and Clean Energy Works Portland/Oregon. Sustainability at Work is a partnership between the City of Portland and the utilities. This program offers free assistance to organizations to create sustainable workplaces. Clean Energy Works Portland/Oregon is a whole-home retrofit financing program offering incentives, no-cost services, and on-bill loan products. This program is available to homeowners, renters, and new homes aimed primarily to underserved populations. This program is funded through ARRA, EECBG, DOE’s Better Buildings Neighborhood Program, and a revolving loan fund.
Last Updated: August 2021
Low-Income & Multifamily EE Programs List All
Low-Income Programs
The Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) administers programs that provide financial support and resources for Oregonians of lower and moderate income. The Low-Income Weatherization program is designed to reduce the energy usage and utility costs of lower income tenants residing in affordable rental housing. The program is partially funded by the PPC and receives 11.7 percent of PPC revenues. That revenue contributes to grants for the construction or rehabilitation of affordable rental housing that is located in PGE’s or Pacific Power’s service territories. Use of these funds requires that at least 50 percent of the units in the project be rented to households whose income is at or below 60 percent of the AMI. Projects receiving funds must also remain affordable for at least 10 years. For each dollar invested, the project must demonstrate at least one kilowatt-hour in energy savings in the first year of operation.
Program resources may be used for shell measures such as windows, doors, and insulation as well as for energy efficient appliances and lighting. The program also provides home weatherization for single- and multi-family, owner occupied, and rental housing). In either case, projects supported by PPC funds for weatherization are required to have a conservation element.
NW Natural offers the Oregon Low-Income Energy Efficiency Program and the Washington Low-Income Energy Efficiency Program to qualified customers. These programs include gas measures such as insulation, windows, doors, pipe insulation, duct insulation, duct sealing, furnaces, infiltration, water heating, and faucet aerators. The program also includes health and safety measures, and targets high energy users, elderly residents, and households with children.
Portland’s Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) provides dedicated funding for climate action that advances racial and social justice, including creating jobs and providing grant funding for community-based weatherization projects. The fund was created through coalition advocacy efforts leading to a local ballot measure #26-201 in November 2018 with overwhelming community support. The Fund is anticipated to bring $44– $61 million in new annual revenue for green jobs, healthy homes, and a climate-friendly Portland. As the nation’s first-ever climate fund created and led by communities of color, PCEF centers Black and Indigenous people, and other disadvantaged and marginalized groups in addressing the climate crisis.
In 2019, Energy Trust of Oregon achieved 5,004 MWh and 0.073 MMtherms of savings, while serving 856 electric properties and 260 natural gas properties and spending $5,335,564 and $1,809,809 on its low-income electric and natural gas programs respectively.
Multifamily Programs
Energy Trust of Oregon offers the Existing Multifamily and the New Buildings Multifamily comprehensive programs to Portland General Electric and Northwest Natural Gas customers. The Existing Multifamily program targets building owners as well as residents with direct install services, lighting retrofits and equipment and weatherization incentives. The New Buildings Multifamily program works with builders in the design phase and through the construction of the building, providing technical guidance and incentives for building beyond code. The New Buildings program also works with customers undertaking whole-building retrofits. Additionally, Energy Trust offers incentives for small-medium and low-income multifamily units through it’s “savings within reach” offerings which provides increased incentives for income qualified customers.
Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) offers low-income services specifically for affordable multifamily housing through their Multifamily Energy Program for Portland General Electric customers. The program requires residents residing in at least 50% of the dwelling units must be at or below 80% AMI (area median income) and these units must remain affordable for a period of 10 years. The program offers three pathways for existing buildings and new construction. These pathways include prescriptive, bundled, and whole building approaches depending on the level of depth that the project wants to engage in.
Energy Trust of Oregon achieved 1,851 MWh and 0.447 MMtherms in savings through its multifamily programs. The programs served 1,851 electric multifamily properties and 844 natural gas multifamily properties. Energy Trust of Oregon spent $9,375,202 and $1,960,908 on its electric and natural gas multifamily programs respectively.
Last Updated: August 2021
Provision of Energy Data by UtilitiesList All
Pacific Power provides automated energy usage to multitenant building managers for use with ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. The City's Commercial Building Energy Performance Reporting Ordinance requires energy utilities to provide a building owner with access to the aggregate monthly energy consumption data for all utility meters identified by the owner. As part of the ordinance implementation, Portland's energy utilities agreed to waive tenant data release forms if a building has five or more separately metered tenants.
While Portland General Electric provides energy usage data to the city who uses the data in their planning processes, yet this data is not made available to the public.
Last Updated: July 2021
Decarbonization and Climate Change Mitigation Efforts of Energy UtilitiesList All
Utility Climate Mitigation Goal
In 2020, Portland General Electric set a goal to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, with an interim goal of 80% reduction by 2030 from 2010 levels. To achieve this interim goal, PGE will need to reduce emissions by 7.1% annually from 2019 levels.
City-Led Efforts to Decarbonize the Electric Grid
In April 2017, the City of Portland committed to a transition to 100% renewable energy for community-wide energy needs by 2050. The city has been working with the local utilities on implementation and progress towards achieving this goal.
City staff regularly participate in state and Public Utility Commission legislative rulemaking proceedings, and the City has been an advocate for PGE’s efforts to provide a clean tariff for large commercial and institutional customers. The City has also partnered with NW Natural on a renewable natural gas development project involving the use of excess biogas at the City’s wastewater treatment plant and turning it into RNG for transportation fuel. The city maintains a Solar Map which indicates the location of distributed generation solar resources in the City. Community Choice Aggregation has not been enabled in the state of Oregon.
Last Updated: July 2021
Efficiency Efforts in Water ServicesList All
Citywide Water Efficiency and Goals
The energy and water utilities do not currently offer joint energy and water efficiency measures. Energy Trust does offer a variety of reduced-flow energy-efficiency measures such as showerheads and faucet aerators, as well as irrigation measures and industrial projects that reduce water consumption.. The Portland Water Bureau offers free water efficiency kits to residential customers as well as toilet and irrigation rebates and incentives. The Bureau offers many programs for commercial customers including the multifamily toilet replacement program, Business Industry and Government (BIG) technical assistance program.
The Water Bureau of Portland has not established a specific goal for water savings.
Water Plant Efficiency and Self-Generation
The City's Environmental Services Wastewater Group has set a target of 1% annual reduction in energy use compared with FY2013-14. To identify and implement energy efficiency projects, the Wastewater Group is actively involved in the Energy Trust of Oregon's Industrial Energy Initiative, which provides technical assistance and financial incentives to promote efficiency projects at the wastewater treatment plant.
The City of Portland’s Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant captures methane to generate heat and power in a 1.7 MW cogeneration system. In FY 2015-16, the combined heat and power (CHP) system generated 10.6 million kWh of electricity and 3.9 MMtherms of natural gas. The treatment plant will also begin to capture the remaining biogas for use as renewable transportation fuel beginning in 2019.
Last Updated: July 2021
Local Government Score:
7.5 out of 10 points
Local Government Climate and Energy Goals List All
The City of Portland’s Climate Action Plan includes climate and energy actions for city government operations.
Climate Mitigation Goal
The Climate Action Plan establishes a goal to reduce city government greenhouse gas emissions by 53% below fiscal year 2006-07 levels by 2030. To meet this goal, the city must reduce emissions by 4.03% annually. Based on ACEEE’s analysis of past years emissions data, ACEEE projects that the city will meet its near-term GHG emissions reduction goal for municipal operations.
Energy Reduction Goal
Portland adopted a goal to reduce municipal energy use by 2% annually below fiscal year 2006-07 levels through 2030.
Renewable Energy Goal
Portland achieved its goal of powering 100% of municipal operations with renewable energy for fiscal year 2016-17. The city aims to fulfill to this goal annually.
Last updated: May 2021
Procurement and Construction Policies List All
Fleet Policies and Composition
Portland has enacted several policies to encourage efficient vehicle procurement and operation. The city’s fleet service has a policy of purchasing the most efficient vehicle that meets work requirements. The city has also set a goal to convert 20% of the city’s fleet to electric vehicles by 2030. As of July 2016, 20% of EV-eligible vehicles were electric. Additionally, The City of Portland currently utilizes onboard fuel system telematics and has GPS installed on over 600 vehicles to improve efficiency in their use. Portland’s fleet is composed of 14% efficient vehicles, including hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric vehicles.
Public Lighting
Portland has not yet adopted a policy requiring efficient outdoor lighting, such as the International Dark-Sky Association’s Model Lighting Ordinance. However, the standard practice in the City has been to install photo-electric relay for all street lights that turn off the lights when sufficient day light is available. Portland's 1990 Energy Policy established the requirement to implement energy measures with simple paybacks of ten years or less, which has led to various roadway and traffic lighting retrofits. Conversion of all Portland streetlights to LEDs is completed. Portland is also a founding member of the DOE-sponsored Municipal Solid State Lighting Consortium to exchange technical data, design, product research, and pricing of LEDs among city owned streetlight systems.
Onsite renewable systems
Portland has installed 700 kW of solar systems on municipal facilities. Portland Fire and Rescue completed the City’s first solar + battery storage project in 2019.
Inclusive procurement
While we were unable to confirm that they had been applied to energy projects, Portland has procurement policies that incentivize work with firms that are certified as Disadvantaged, Minority-Owned, Women-Owned, Emerging Small Businesses, and Service Disabled Veterans Business Enterprises. The Portland City Council has adopted a Model Community Benefits Agreement for its agencies
Last updated: May 2021
Asset Management List All
Building Benchmarking
The City of Portland requires eligible commercial buildings, including local government facilities, to benchmark and report energy performance through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. To comply with the policy, the City benchmarked all covered buildings exceeding 50,000 square feet in April 2016. The City is now benchmarking 100% of buildings greater than 1,000 square feet that have available data and no tenant owned meters. Benchmarking data from buildings greater than 20,000 square feet are shared with the public.
Comprehensive Retrofit Strategy
The City's Bureau of Internal Business Services has a Strategic Planning Group that manages a project prioritization process for major maintenance that prioritizes projects that improve energy efficiency. Additionally, Portland has a policy aimed at undertaking any identified energy efficiency project with a simple payback of 10 years or less. The City has implemented more than 100 significant energy efficiency investments in the last 20 years.
Last updated: May 2021