Portland Extreme Heat: City Council Funds Plan Providing Cooling Units

PORTLAND, OR — The rain may seem omnipresent, but summer's not that far away. That means that the danger of extreme heat is on the horizon.

The Portland City Council on Wednesday approved plans to fund the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) Heat Response program, which will distribute 15,000 heat-pump/cooling units to Portlanders at the greatest risk for heat-related illness.

During last year's wave of temperatures 110 degrees and above, more than 45 city residents died from the heat. The majority did not have air conditioning, according to a report from the state medical examiner.

"Portlanders need us to take accelerated, aggressive climate action rooted in racial and economic justice," Commissioner Carmen Rubio said.

The council approved $6.3 million to install the 15,000 units over five years, according to city records. This year, it plans to distribute around 7,800 units, the city said.

The move follows a council action in January that gave a contract to Earth Advantage Inc. to purchase the units.

The city said most of them are portable and will give residents heating and cooling depending on the weather.

An Earth Advantage official, Pilar Calderin, said the group is "excited to begin working" to "install the first phase of heat pump/cooling units to Portland communities most at risk from heat events."

The city selected seven organizations to identify households and to schedule and handle the installations.

The seven organizations are:

• Central City Concern
• Northwest Housing Alternatives
• Portland Community Reinvestment Initiative (PCRI)
• Reach CDC
• African American Alliance for Homeownership
• Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO)
• Verde