COMMENTARY | With naysayers undermining the environment, it’s critical that this measure is carried out as intended
In the months since voters resoundingly passed the Portland Clean Energy Fund, the impacts and urgency of the climate crisis have only grown.
Last year, greenhouse gas pollution reached a record high, and the previous five years were the hottest on average in modern record. In light of this, we would all do well to heed the words of Pope Francis, who recently told oil company executives, “Our children and grandchildren should not have to pay the cost of our generation’s irresponsibility.”
With the Portland Clean Energy Fund, Portland has taken the lead in tackling the social injustice of climate change while our federal government continues its march of unconscionable inaction.
EDITORIAL: Portland Clean Energy Fund is the right thing for the people
Portland voters took bold action last November, passing Measure 26-201 with 65% of the vote to levy a 1% surcharge on retail sales by companies with greater than $1 billion in annual sales. That money will be put into the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) and used for green job training and renewable energy projects (such as weatherization and solar panel installation) that prioritize low-income people and communities of color.
We know that the climate crisis affects some earlier and more harshly than others. Low-income people, communities of color, and people without access to shelter are more greatly impacted by intensifying heat waves, smoky fire seasons, and wet winter months. PCEF is expected to raise an estimated $54 million to $71 million a year that is critically needed to mitigate these disparities and build our clean energy future.
Members of the community coalition that campaigned for the Portland Clean Energy Fund have been working closely in partnership with Portland’s City Council members and Bureau of Planning and Sustainability to ensure that the law is implemented in the way voters intended. This summer, the Portland City Council is expected to appoint the first of a diverse, representative nine-member committee that will oversee grants under PCEF. Companies and workers alike are eagerly anticipating new jobs and new training opportunities while schools, businesses and families look forward to new rooftop solar panels, building weatherizations, and urban green spaces.
But change – even necessary and positive change – almost always draws naysayers. President Donald Trump and many of his supporters still deny the basic science of climate change. This despite the severe floods that are disrupting farming in the Midwest, the worsening ravaging wildfires on the West Coast, the increasing severity and frequency of tropical storms, and deadly droughts that have contributed to refugees worldwide seeking asylum.
Similarly, big businesses that campaigned against the Portland Clean Energy Fund continue their opposition. After losing decisively with voters, they aim to undermine the amount of revenue generated for PCEF by seeking exemptions to avoid paying their fair share. But now is not the time for back-sliding on a democratically approved measure. Robust PCEF funding is critical for moving past talk to start building the projects we need to rein in greenhouse gas emissions while creating the diverse workforce needed to make these projects reality. Coalition members continue to work city officials to ensure that the measure is carried out as intended by the voters, who recognized the importance of taking bold action toward addressing the climate crisis.
PCEF was created by groups led by and working for the rights of our city’s communities of color and low-income communities. It is an important step toward taking our climate responsibility seriously, in a manner that is socially just and promotes the well-being of all Portlanders. The story of PCEF has already begun to inspire diverse communities across the country to forge their own clean energy future and local versions of a Green New Deal, grounded in justice and equity for all people. Let’s set a good example by implementing a robust and effective Portland Clean Energy Fund.
Mondainé and Voss-Andreae were co-chief petitioners of Measure 26-201 in 2018, which was approved by voters to create the Portland Clean Energy Fund.
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