Portland, Ore.— Today, the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability’s Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) opened applications for its Community Grants Program funding cycle. This will be the fourth round of funding strictly allocated for community-led projects and will distribute up to $67 million in grants across five categories:
- Energy efficiency and renewable energy
- Regenerative agriculture and green infrastructure
- Workforce and contractor development
- Transportation decarbonization
- Other greenhouse gas reducing projects
The Community Grants program is a cornerstone of PCEF’s work, ensuring priority populations in Portland are leading climate solutions. Community-led projects advance climate justice and reduce emissions for Portlanders, especially those hit first and hardest by climate change. Past projects include improving energy efficiency in affordable housing, expanding access to regenerative farming, planting trees to cool neighborhoods, creating career pathways in the green workforce, or making biking and walking safer and more accessible.
As PCEF’s primary grantmaking initiative, the program funds both planning and implementation projects, ensuring organizations have the resources to develop and carry out community-led climate solutions. By centering PCEF priority populations, the program helps ensure that the benefits of climate action are accessible, equitable, and impactful for all Portlanders.
Technical assistance
Applicants can access a variety of resources to assist with their application and are encouraged to attend application office hours, review the applicant handbook, and review guidance materials. Information will be available on the PCEF website.
Why this work matters
In 2020, City Council declared that “a human-made climate emergency threatens our city, our region, our state, our nation, humanity, and the natural world,” and called for “an immediate mobilization effort initiating greater action, resources, and collaboration that prioritizes frontline communities to restore a safe climate.”
The Community Grant Program works to advance a climate-resilient Portland. PCEF has already granted more than $219 million in funds that support under-resourced communities in our city. The PCEF program progress dashboard can be viewed online.
About the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability
The Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) oversees a world-renowned waste and recycling system and leads the country in its commitment to digital equity, open data, and protecting communities in the application of technologies. Staff collaborate with partners on neighborhood, economic, historic, and environmental planning and provide research, policy, and technical services to advance energy efficiency and renewable energy, as well as policies and actions to address climate change. The bureau also oversees the innovative Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF).
About the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund
The Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) initiative was passed by 65% of Portland voters in November 2018. It provides a consistent, long-term funding source and oversight structure to ensure that our community's climate action efforts are implemented to support social, economic and environmental benefits for all Portlanders, particularly communities of color and low-income residents. The initiative was supported by a broad coalition of groups and individuals and represents the first environmental initiative in Oregon led by communities of color.
About the Community and Economic Development Service Area
The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability is part of the City’s Community and Economic Development service area, which also includes the Portland Housing Bureau, Portland Permitting and Development, Prosper Portland, the Enhanced Services Districts Program, and the Spectator Venues and Visitor Activities Program. The Community and Economic Development service area aligns City programs focused on building prosperity for all Portlanders by creating and delivering efficient, transparent, and equitable solutions for a resilient built environment – and services, resources, and experiences for our community.