GOAL

Promote a sustainable energy future by increasing energy efficiency in all sectors of the City by ten percent by the year 2000. 

POLICIES

In order to accomplish this goal, the following nine policies and related objectives are adopted as the Energy Policy of the City of Portland. 

A. THE ROLE OF THE CITY 

The City Energy Office shall take a lead role in developing new energy-saving programs and assist other City bureaus with energy programs and policies. The Energy Office in coordination with the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs will seek funding from City, State, Federal, and regional agencies, utilities, and others to implement, monitor, and evaluate programs. 

Other City bureaus also shall develop policies and programs that affect energy use. Many of the programs will be developed with assistance from the Energy Office and then integrated into the budgets and work plans of the appropriate City bureaus. The City will consider public and private benefits and costs in the development of programs. 

The City Energy Commission shall be an advocate for energy efficiency and advise the City Council on energy policies and programs. 

Objectives 

Two-Year Action Plan

1. Compile and update basic data on the sources, uses and costs of energy within the City and related air quality, solid waste, and environmental data.

2. Review major City policies and programs in the early stages of development to encourage energy efficiency.

3. Work with neighborhoods to include energy policies as a part of revitalization efforts, in neighborhood plans, and in the Neighborhood Need process.

4. Compile information on new energy technologies, policies, and programs that may prove helpful to Portland's economy and environment.

5. Participate in the utilities' least-cost planning processes. Advocate the role of cities in the development and delivery of conservation and renewable resources.

6. Implement local programs that reduce the level of greenhouse gases to help meet the State's goal of a 20 percent reduction in emissions by 2005.

7. Support Public Utility Commission regulatory changes to encourage more utility investments in energy efficiency.

8. Support stricter Federal energy efficiency appliance standards.

9. Review and update Energy Policy Two-Year Action Plan every two years.

10. Actively solicit funding for energy efficiency projects to leverage city dollars and efforts.

Long-Term Plan

11. Evaluate and update the Energy Policy every five years.

12. Support efforts to develop a Northwest energy research institute to provide technical and policy research for the substantial energy industry located in Portland.

13. Develop and promote energy education materials for the general public, elementary and secondary schools, and libraries.

14. Investigate opportunities for supporting energy programs through utility franchise agreements.

B. ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN CITY-OWNED BUILDINGS.

The City shall promote cost-effective energy savings (simple paybacks of ten years of less) in municipally-owned buildings and facilities and take advantage of utility, State, and Federal technical and financial assistance programs.

Objectives

Two-Year Action Plan

1. Determine total energy use and costs for municipal facilities and set up a system to track use and costs for major City facilities.

2. Identify energy-saving measures including opportunities for the use of renewable resources in City government buildings and facilities and seek funding for improvements. Use the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) Small-Scale Energy Loan Program, as appropriate.

3. Develop an energy-saving incentive program to encourage efficiency in City government by returning a portion of the money saved to the participating bureaus and for other energy projects.

4. Establish a set-aside fund for financing energy efficiency projects in City government buildings and facilities. Target the fund to 6/100ths of one percent of the City's General Fund.

5. Provide energy education materials to City employees to encourage energy efficiency at work and home.

6. Promote the use and design of energy efficient street lighting systems, and continue to convert street lights to be more energy efficient.

7. Promote the use of life-cycle costing in purchasing decisions made by the City.

Long-Term Plan

8. Increase municipal energy efficiency by ten percent by the year 2000 by reducing total energy use in City-owned buildings, facilities, and fleet.

9. Promote a reduction in artificial lighting and the increased use of daylighting in all new construction or major remodeling of City buildings and facilities.

10. Investigate the budget process for increasing the priority of capital improvements that reduce energy operating costs.

11. Where practicable, exceed the energy efficiency standards of the Oregon building code for new municipal buildings, facilities and major improvements. Cost-effective energy efficiency measures shall be taken, such as energy efficiency lighting, high-efficiency motors and appliances, district heating and cooling systems, and the use of renewable resources.

C. ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS

The City shall encourage energy efficiency in existing residences, focusing on the most energy-wasteful units, by helping to develop and promote public/private partnerships, utility, local, State, and Federal programs. The City also shall promote energy efficient new housing by enforcing the energy saving standards in the State building code.

Objectives

Two-Year Action Plan

1. Facilitate the weatherization of 8,000 low-income, multi-family units through the City's Multi-Family Weatherization Program by 1992.

2. Expand the Multi-Family Weatherization Program to include single-family rental homes, when funding is available.

3. Actively promote utility-sponsored energy efficiency programs for Portland homeowners.

4. Identify ways to meet the weatherization needs of elderly residents. Provide services in conjunction with agencies that serve the elderly.

5. Better serve low-income households, including Section 8 recipients, by coordinating with social service agencies and utilities through programs such as Block-By-Block Weatherization Program and the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program. Investigate ways to share costs with property owners.

6. Promote energy efficient new construction by actively supporting the inclusion of cost-effective residential energy-saving measures for all home heating fuels in the State Building Code. The code should be similar to the Northwest Power Planning Council's Model Conservation Standards.

7. Support the development of a uniform home energy rating system to provide information on the energy performance of new and existing homes.

8. Investigate requiring energy audits for any residential structure receiving financing from the Portland Development Commission.

9. Avoid lost conservation opportunities by encouraging property owners to install all cost-effective weatherization measures from weatherizing their rental properties.

Long-Term Plan

10. Identify ways to encourage local lenders to promote energy-efficient homes by counting future energy savings as income when determining the size of a home loan.

11. Investigate options for time-of-sale weatherization for residential properties.

12. Facilitate the weatherization of 20,000 low-income multi-family units by the year 2000.

D. ENERGY EFFICIENCY THROUGH LAND USE REGULATIONS

The City shall promote residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation energy efficiency and the use of renewable resources. 

Objectives

Two-Year Action Plan

1. Promote land use patterns that increase energy efficiency in buildings and transportation systems by making energy efficiency a critical element when developing new zoning regulations and modifying old regulations and the comprehensive map. This objective applies to the following long-range planning efforts: 

(a) Downtown, regional and neighborhood commercial service centers and central industrial areas with a balance of complementary retail and employment activities. Locate them near major arterials and transit lines. 

(b) Medium and high-density residential zones in and adjacent to the downtown core. Develop other general commercial centers and medium-density residential zones adjacent to neighborhood service centers. 

(c) Housing adjacent to employment areas. 

(d) Planned unit developments to include mixed uses. 

(e) Zero lot line/common wall construction in designated low and medium density residential zones. 

(f) Buildable "substandard" lots. 

(g) Secondary rental units in single family, owner-occupied homes.

2. Promote density, location, and mix of land uses that decrease the length of required daily trips and encourage the consolidation of related trips.

3. Promote medium to high density residential near proposed transit stations and medium density residential development along major transit routes.

4. Reduce energy consumed for space heating residential buildings by promoting the construction and renovation of attached single and multi-family dwelling units.

5. Promote tree planting as a way to reduce summer cooling loads and air pollution, making sure the trees do not cause the need for additional street lighting.

Long-Term Plan

6. Investigate the potential for energy savings from solar access standards for commercial buildings and multi-family housing.

7. Work with other governments in the region to promote both mass transit and compact urban growth.

E. ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES

The City shall encourage energy efficiency in existing commercial buildings and institutions by facilitating utility, local, State, and Federal financial and technical assistance.

Objectives

Two-Year Plan

1. Help 100 Portland businesses access existing utility, State, and Federal financial and technical assistance programs by 1992.

2. Actively support utility programs for commercial and industrial energy efficiency.

3. Support the amendment of the ODOE Business Energy Tax Credit program to offer up-front energy efficiency tax credits for businesses, similar to the incentive offered to multi-family building owners.

4. Continue to promote the inclusion of cost-effective commercial energy saving measures in the State building code, similar to the Northwest Power Planning Council's Model Conservation Standards, and require that commercial building designers submit energy code compliance forms with their applications for building permits.

5. Train Bureau of Buildings plans examiners to review plans for compliance with the commercial energy code with emphasis on lighting code requirements.

Long-Term Plan

6. Provide information to developers, architects, builders, and others interested in improving energy efficiency in new construction.

7. Help local schools, hospitals, and other public and non-profit groups to participate in State, Federal, and utility-sponsored energy efficiency programs.

8. Help set up training for businesses, schools, and institutions on operation and maintenance, energy accounting, life-cycle costing and other energy efficient management practices. Target small and medium businesses and major energy-using buildings.

9. Explore opportunities for promoting solar energy use and daylighting in commercial buildings.

10. Work with industry to identify opportunities for improving energy efficiency in process applications, including waste-heat recovery for cogeneration and district heating and cooling. Promote applicable State, Federal, and utility programs or incentives.

11. Study the impacts of reducing Multnomah County personal property tax for new investments in energy efficient equipment.

12. Encourage district heating and cooling, and renewable resources in new commercial and institutional buildings.

13. Study and provide information to the development community on the costs and benefits of certification of commissioning of air balancing, controls, and HVAC equipment in commercial buildings. (Commissioning means that energy systems in new buildings are certified to work the way they were designed in the original plans.)

F. ENERGY EFFICIENT TRANSPORTATION

The City shall provide opportunities for non-auto transportation including alternative vehicles, buses, light rail, bikeways, and walkways. The City shall also promote the reduction of gasoline and diesel use by conventional buses, autos and trucks by increasing fuel efficiency and promoting the use of alternative fuels.

Objectives

Two-Year Plan

1. Conduct an alternative fuels demonstration project in conjunction with appropriate utility, local, and state government agencies.

2. Initiate the amendment of current ODOE Business Energy Tax Credit and Small-Scale Energy Loan Program legislation to include financial incentives for transportation options that reduce greenhouse gases and improve air quality.

3. Support efforts to ensure the energy efficiency of the transit system, including good street maintenance and traffic light synchronization.

4. Promote shared recreational use of school facilities and City parks, close-in recreation opportunities, and improved scheduling of events to reduce recreation-related transportation needs.

5. Promote the construction of a regional light rail transit system.

6. Support efforts to remove the limitation in the State Constitution affecting local vehicle registration fees. Additional fees could be used for non-highway projects such as alternatives to auto-based transportation, if local voters authorize.

7. Support an increase in the Federal mileage standards for new cars.

8. Promote walking and bicycle commuting by identifying routes, encouraging spot hazard improvements on city streets, the provision of bicycle lockers at park-and-ride lots, and investigating bicycle commuter service centers and covered walkways/sidewalks.

Long-Term Plan

9. Support an increase in the number of preferentially located parking spots available for carpools. Promote their availability.

10. Match carpool riders and provide transit information to City employees. Promote public/private partnerships to increase employee rideshare, transit use, and flex-time.

11. Investigate offering reduced cost bus passes to City employees and encourage similar action by the State, Multnomah County, and private employers.

12. Promote and provide technical assistance on alternative fuels for downtown business fleets.

13. Support changes in Federal tax laws to increase deductions for employer paid transit.

14. Promote efficient transportation options for commuting between Northwest urban centers.

G. TELECOMMUNICATIONS AS AN ENERGY EFFICIENCY STRATEGY

The City shall research and support telecommunication opportunities that reduce the need for travel.

Objectives

Two-Year Action Plan

1. Develop a telecommunications policy for internal City use.

2. Examine City-wide telecommunications needs with local businesses, agencies, and developers.

Long-Term Plan

3. Investigate opportunities for City employees to allow off-site work and telecommuting, when appropriate.

4. Work with neighborhood commercial districts to identify and put into use telecommunication applications.

5. Investigate opportunities for "24-hour city Hall" to provide information by computer access on City activities, services, hearings, and cultural/recreational events.

H. ENERGY SUPPLY

The City shall promote conservation as the energy resource of first choice. The City shall also support environmentally acceptable, sustainable energy sources, especially renewable resources such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, biomass (wood, farm and municipal waste), cogeneration, and district heating and cooling.

Objectives

Two-Year Action Plan

1. Investigate and advocate opportunities for competitive bidding to "sell" conservation to utilities or the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). The City could operate conservation programs and deliver "saved energy" in the form of less electricity or gas used. Assist the Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC), and others on the development of competitive bidding policies.

2. Promote the continued long-term production and use of methane at City-owned facilities, such as the St. Johns Landfill and Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant.

3. Develop an energy supply assessment for the City, including solar, biomass, and opportunities for using district heating and cooling, when funding is available.

Long-Term Plan

4. Develop an energy contingency plan based on the State's plan to protect against fuel shortages.

5. Investigate the potential for using the City's groundwater system and wastewater treatment plant for district heating and cooling.

I. WASTE REDUCTION AND RECYCLING

The City shall promote energy-saving activities such as 1) reduced use of excess materials, such as packaging; 2) recovery of materials from the waste stream for direct reuse and remanufacture into new projects; 3) recycling; and 4) purchase of products made from recycled materials.

Objectives

Two-Year Action Plan

1. Continue to support both City and intergovernmental efforts in the recycling of office wastepaper and other recyclable materials, the curbside recycling program and composting.

2. Set up recycling programs for 500 multi-family buildings and 20 downtown commercial buildings by 1992.

3. Help local businesses develop markets for recyclable materials.

4. Develop a plan, including targets and a schedule, to increase residential recycling.

Long-Term Plan

5. Promote economic reprocessing and reuse of asphalt removed from City streets. Promote the use of recycled asphalt and rubber (from tires) for paving.

6. Promote voluntary recycling of major glass, metal and wood products at construction and demolition sites.

7. Investigate opportunities for waste-to-energy and other waste recovery technologies.

8. Support activities to help METRO reach its goal of a 56 percent waste reduction in the METRO area by 2010.

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