Mayor Wheeler, Others Endorse PGE Clean Energy Program Bid

PORTLAND, OR — Ted Wheeler was one of six Oregon mayors to recently endorse Portland General Electric's new program to meet the state's goal of clean energy production and consumption.

Filed last Friday with the Oregon Public Utility Commission, PGE's "Green Tariff" program — if approved — could create new options for large non-residential customers to purchase clean energy directly from solar, wind, and other renewable energy facilities through PGE's service.

“This is part of PGE’s ongoing commitment to leading the way to a clean energy future for Oregon,” PGE president and CEO Maria Pope said in a statement released Monday. “Many of our customers have ambitious clean energy and sustainability goals — while at the same time wanting to keep prices affordable. This is another way we can meet their needs.”

While the Green Tariff Program allows PGE municipal and large business customers to continue their current service, it also creates the option to obtain clean energy from renewable resources — pushing PGE toward the state's goal of seeing half the state's energy supply come from renewable resources over the next 22 years.

Senate Bill 1547, which was passed by Oregon state legislators in 2016, increases the previous clean energy goal of 25 percent renewable resources by 2025 to 50 percent renewable by 2040.

According to PGE, "The proposed program would deliver power to participating large customers at a price that reflects the actual cost of producing and delivering the energy from a specific facility, and it would be self-supporting to assure that no costs would be shifted to non-participating customers."

Details on the pricing structure and varying contract options can be found here.

In written testimony offered to the commission, Wheeler outlined Portland's interest in the Green Tariff program and described what he personally hopes to see happen in the city.

"Climate change is the greatest environmental challenge of the 21st century," Wheeler testified, noting the danger it not only poses to Oregon's environment but also its inhabitants. "We’ve already reduced carbon emissions by 14 percent since 1990, while our population has increased 30 percent and we have 20 percent more jobs. We have established a strong foundation for continuing to reduce emissions that also benefits our economic, social, and cultural lives.

"Climate change cannot be solved by the government in isolation," Wheeler continued. "Businesses, residents, institutions, and non-profit organizations all have essential roles to play."

For its part, Wheeler explained, Portland has already made its own moves to ensure a cleaner future for the city by approving resolutions that demand city officials and staff make future plans with clean energy consumption in mind.

“Portland’s 100 percent Clean and Renewable Energy Resolution set the vision for our city to achieve aggressive climate goals and strengthen support for new renewable energy projects in our region," Wheeler said in a statement. "PGE’s proposed Green Tariff would allow us to take that to the next level, giving us a powerful solution for the city to meet our renewable energy supply goals for our operations, and support the economic vitality of the renewable energy sector in our area."

Along with Wheeler, mayors from Gresham, Milwaukie, Beaverton, Hillsboro, and Salem signed the application endorsing the commission's approval.

Click here for more information about the proposed Green Tariff program.

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