Local organizations lead the charge towards a clean energy future

Electric vehicles were on full display at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon. Portland General Electric (PGE) held its annual Drive Change Fund event on Thursday, November 14, to celebrate Drive Change Fund awardees and applicants that are making strides toward a clean energy future for their communities.

PGE’s Drive Change Fund is a grant program made possible by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s Clean Fuels Program , empowering grant recipients to invest in transportation electrification projects with a focus on benefitting PGE customers and underserved communities.

Current and former Drive Change Fund recipients showcased their new electrified vehicles during the event and shared the positive impacts electrification has on reducing carbon emissions and promoting energy independence. The showcase included the City of Salem’s electric street sweeper, Family Building Blocks’ electric bus, and one of Chemeketa Community College’s two electric tractors.

2022 Drive Change Fund recipient, Chemeketa Community College said their electric tractors demonstrate the real life impacts green technology has in the mid-Willamette Valley, where agriculture is a major economic driver. While Chemeketa Community College educators use the tractors to teach students about green approaches to agriculture, the college also has a unique program for local farmers to gain hands-on experience with the all-electric tractors.

“Local farmers have the opportunity to borrow and try this new green technology to understand its value before investing in similar equipment,” said Dr. Jessica Howard, President of Chemeketa Community College.

In addition to cleaner operations, farmers can expect electric tractors to require less maintenance, produce less noise, instant torque, and better performance, especially during cold weather. With the agricultural industry becoming more automated, Howard believes there are even more opportunities for electrification.

“Incorporating more sustainable methods is critical for our future,” said Howard. “To create change we need to have educational institutions like Chemeketa Community College to lead the way.”

With more than a third of Oregon’s total greenhouse gas emissions originating from the transportation sector, PGE is proud to support organizations like Chemeketa Community College who are leading the charge toward a clean energy future.

“Adopting electric vehicles is one of the most significant opportunities we have for reducing emissions and improving air quality in our communities,” said Kregg Arntson, PGE Director of Community Impact. “This is especially important for communities that have historically lacked access to these emerging technologies.”

Over the course of six years, PGE’s Drive Change Fund has benefited nearly 100 electrification projects for more than 80 organizations. In 2024, the Drive Change Fund awarded 27 non-profits and one municipality across PGE’s service area.

PGE’s Drive Change Fund is an open and competitive annual grant process available to organizations such as community-based nonprofits and governmental entities. A third-party grant evaluator reviews applications and conducts interviews with key project team members.

PGE prioritizes projects that are led by, and impact, underserved communities, as well as an overall portfolio of projects that represent a diversity of technologies, project types, and communities.

2024 Drive Change Fund awardees:

• Arise and Shine

  • Two electric vehicles that will transport community members around the city – many of whom are elderly, disabled, or single mothers.

• Caldera

  • Four electric transit vans along with four charging ports that will replace the current transportation vehicles in their fleet that are 10-20 years old.

• Camp Elso Inc.

  • Three electric vans along with educational funds that will be used to enrich their STEAMED program for nearly 500 BIPOC youth in the Portland metro region annually.

• Community for Positive Aging

  • Three electric vehicles that will be used to provide means of access to locations where low-income seniors and people with disabilities can meet their medical, nutritional, and support service needs.

• City of West Linn

  • Accessible electric vehicle charging, especially for commuters on the I-205 corridor, along with encouraging more widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

• Clackamas Service Center

  • Two refrigerated electric cargo vans that will replace their current gas and diesel vans that transport ingredients and other resources to food pantries and events.

• Community Development Corporation of Oregon

  • Two electric vehicles that will be used to deliver in-person support for high-risk individuals in the form of food, medical care, and business education.

• Depave

  • One electric truck that will be used to replace their 22-year-old gas truck.

• Foodways at Nana Cardoon

  • A new electric van and charger that will be used to deliver essential food items to enhance accessibility to nutritious food and alleviate food insecurity.

• Forth Mobility Fund

  • Two electrified farm vehicles that will be used in a program that lends farmers e-farming equipment to test out on their farms.

• Free Geek

  • An electric van that will be used to transport their Digital Equity team members and materials to various programs, classes, and other events.

• Friends of Zenger Farm

  • One electric truck along with two Level 2 charging stations to support farm operations and their programs.

• Home Forward

  • Installation of 16 dual port EV chargers in low- and no- income housing sites throughout Portland and Gresham, providing EV charger access to those communities.

• Lakewood Theatre Company

  • Installation of three public Level 2 dual port charging stations that will provide charging infrastructure to an area that has limited public access to EV charging.

• Metropolitan Family Service

  • Hiring of a bilingual program coordinator, with the goal helping low-income BIPOC communities attain favorable below-market loans for electric vehicles and e-bikes through the MFS program, along with education and outreach related to electric vehicles in both English and Spanish.

• NARA NW

  • Two Level 2 EV chargers, along with four electric passenger vans that will be used to safely transport clients to its service locations and enhance EV awareness through their educational and outreach campaigns.

• Northwest Mother’s Milk Bank

  • One Level 2 EV charger and an electric truck with a lift gate for delivery capabilities.

• Oregon Museum of Science and Industry

  • Four electric vehicles and transportation electrification education and outreach for their staff and visitors.

• Oregon Environmental Council

  • One electric vehicle that will be used for staff support, along with funds for education and outreach.

• PDX Diaper Bank

  • One electric forklift that will be used in its warehouse operations to increase their diaper distributions to families and accept more shipments of donated diapers.

• Portland Street Alliance

  • Funding for an education and outreach campaign, along with a new electric truck.

• Project LEDO

  • One electric vehicle and one charging station to transport staff and materials throughout the Portland metro area to support their LEGO Robotics program and STEM workshops.

• Portland State University Foundation

  • Six electric cargo bikes that will be used by their Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) to promote their Mobile Learning Laboratory to re-engage with students and the community face-to-face.

• Raices de Bienestar

  • An electric mobile health and outreach vehicle, giving the nonprofit the ability to deliver culturally responsible mental health services and community programs to Latino people.

• Volunteers of America Oregon

  • For electric vehicles and along with two Level 2 chargers to support services.

• Westside Transportation Alliance

  • Two e-bikes along with a cargo trailer for hauling to support programming and eliminate the need for personal or rental vehicles.

• Youth Progress

  • One electric vehicle, along with two charging ports to replace the nonprofit’s current gas-powered van used to transport the youth to their activities.