City Councilor proposing costly new requirement for commercial and multi-family owners

Portland City Councilor Candace Avalos (District 1) has released language for a proposal that would require most commercial and multi-family property owners to reduce the carbon emissions from their buildings by 20% every five years starting in 2030 and reach zero emissions by 2050. An ordinance enacting the requirement is expected to come to the City Council Committee on Housing and Permitting (which Avalos chairs) on September 1st.

According to information released by Avalos, "the Climate & Health Standards (C&HS) aim to transition Portland's largest commercial and multifamily buildings to clean energy, while increasing energy efficiency, reducing carbon emissions and protecting renters through transparency, phased compliance, and strong anti-displacement measures."

The new requirement would apply to commercial buildings more than 20,000 square feet in size, but would exclude buildings predominantly used for industrial, manufacturing, parking, primary or secondary education, warehouse, or worship purposes. Multi-family residential buildings with four or more dwelling units would also be subject to the new regulations.

The full text of the Avalos proposal is available here, and her explanatory information is available here.

Revitalize Portland Coalition President Jose Cienfuegos condemned the idea, saying, "This is the worst possible thing the city could do. Even just raising it for consideration once again reinforces the perception that Portland is hostile to investment in the city and has no hesitation in drastically changing the rules for businesses. These requirements, if passed, would be a total game-changer for commercial and residential owners. Think of the financial impacts on hospitals, our lodging and restaurant industries, and our storefront businesses--all of which are already struggling. All of them will have to look at retrofitting existing heating and cooling systems or, alternatively, pay exorbitant fees of they don't meet the emission reduction targets."

"This proposal also reflects a troubling pattern," continued Cienfuegos. "Portland's City Council appears willing — even eager — to adopt new laws and regulations that add cost and complexity for businesses, while remaining strikingly blind and deaf to the other half of the equation: making it easier for the businesses we already have to stay, and for new ones to open, in our downtown core. Revitalizing Portland demands as much attention to clearing pathways for investment as to piling new mandates onto it. Until the Council brings that same urgency to reducing barriers, downtown's recovery will be harder than it needs to be."

Revitalize Portland Coalition will issue updates when this matter is formally scheduled for a public hearing with information about how to testify.