This Week in the Mercury

<i>Madame Butterfly</i>

Theater

Madame Butterfly

Portland Opera Takes on Puccini's Tale of Love and Betrayal


Sold Out

Columns

Sold Out

The Specialty Store



  |  

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

News / Politics Save On Insulation For Your Single Family Home

Posted by Matt Davis on Wed, Jul 8, 2009 at 3:01 PM

Distracting Cesar Chavez renames aside, city council has been remarkably productive on the important issue of sustainability today. This morning, it signed a contract to have six streetcars produced right here in Oregon. And this afternoon, council has voted to establish the Clean Energy Works Portland program, which will allow Portlanders to borrow money in order to insulate their homes, and build new furnaces for energy efficiency.

Simply: You get a loan to insulate your home, and you pay it back over time through tiny contributions on your energy bill. If you sell your house, you can pass on the loan to the buyer, as long as they agree.

The program is a partnership with the Energy Trust of Oregon, Shorebank Enterprise Cascadia, NW Natural, PacifiCorp, Portland General Electric, Worksystems, Inc., Multnomah County, and organized labor, community-based organizations, and employers. State representative Jules Bailey and County Commissioner Jeff Cogen showed up to praise the initiative:

a92b/1247089983-baileycogen.jpg
BAILEY (RIGHT) AND COGEN (LEFT): Sustainability advocates...

"Make no mistake," said state representative Jules Bailey. "The eyes of the nation are on Portland right now."

"This really is a monumental day for Oregon," he said.

"There are certain things that come before this body that get a lot more media scrutiny than this here today," said county commissioner Jeff Cogen. "But arguably nothing is more important than this initiative today."

There's an estimated 100,000 homes in the Portland area that are completely un-insulated, Cogen said. But the energy savings of insulating those homes actually pays for the cost of doing it.

They're aiming for 500 single family homes this summer. So if you think you might qualify for the program, call the city's bureau of planning and sustainability for more information on (503) 823-7700 you can apply for it online.

 

Comments (5) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment
1
"Make no mistake," said state representative Jules Bailey. "The eyes of the nation are on Portland right now."

HA HA HA HA!

I wish I could go back in time and isolate the moment when Oregon became so self-important (self-conscious). You didn't hear crap like this 20 years ago.
Posted by Blabby on July 8, 2009 at 3:29 PM · Report
2
For clarification: Cogen said he was lobbying Obama's staff recently, and they were raving about this program, saying if it's successful here they want to replicate it all over the country.
Posted by Matt Davis on July 8, 2009 at 3:36 PM · Report
3
Bailey is rawking the hellz out of that suit + tie combo. Smart lookin' fella!
Posted by Stephen Marc Beaudoin on July 8, 2009 at 3:48 PM · Report
4
What is the environmental impact of filling insulation into 100,000 homes?
Posted by NIG GER on July 8, 2009 at 3:51 PM · Report
5
Sounds like something for fancy-pants rich people who can afford climate-control in their homes.
Posted by Will Radik on July 8, 2009 at 4:16 PM · Report

Add a comment

Our Friends

Our Enemies

/images/adoftheweek.gif

ad of the day

The Handyman Pro - Your Honey-Do Specialist
Don’t let our name fool you. The Handyman Pro, LLC is a repair and remodel service provider with over 25-years experience. We cover all aspects of construction and repairs for residential and commercial clients.go


post an ad

All contents © Index Newspapers, LLC

115 SW Ash St. Suite 600
Portland, OR 97204

Contact Info | Privacy Policy | Production Guidelines | Terms of Use