PCEF funding passes

You might remember that way back in 2018, 350PDX volunteers collected over 8,000 signatures to get the Portland Clean Energy Initiative on the ballot. This initiative would go on to pass with 65% of the vote, establishing a a City of Portland grant program to fund clean energy projects, job training opportunities, and green infrastructure development thanks to a 1% tax on the wealthiest corporations in our city – the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF). Today, we are thrilled to share that last week, after two years of implementation and hard work behind the scenes, Portland City Council unanimously approved the first round of 45 PCEF grants for a total of $8.6 million! 100% of these grants will go to organizations that serve Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and low-income communities, from job training in clean energy construction to culturally relevant community gardens. We’re looking forward to the next cycle of funding that is expected to total $30 million. You can check out the full list of this cycle’s grantees here!

We are so grateful to all of the staff, community organizations, volunteers, and City Councillors whose efforts have taken PCEF from vision to reality. If you feel called to do so, feel free to thank a Grant Committee member, a PCEF Staff Member, or a City Councillor that you know in the community! And if you contributed, in small and big ways, to the success of the PCEF Grant Program — thank you! Because of your efforts, we are closer to a clean energy economy that benefits all for the City of Portland.