Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced Wednesday that Portland will receive $23 million in stimulus funding to improve streetcar service along Moody Ave., making the project one of 51 nationwide qualifying for the funding.

The money was part of $1.5 billion allocated to jump start "innovative'' transportation projects. More than 1,400 applications were submitted for the funding, a number that Transportation Department officials said made it one of the most competitive in the department's history.

To read more: click here.

Portland-area governments will spend tens of millions on capital construction projects in coming months.

The projects will provide lucrative contracts for firms that specialize in materials handling, road improvements and public safety structures. The city of Portland expects to spend nearly $90 million on water utility projects alone starting early next year. The city will also spend another $78 million on parks, environmental and transportation projects.

Multnomah County will allot another $18 million to $20 million toward facility renovations and information technology improvements through next sprin

To read more: click here.

Oregon isn't the windiest state. It has become a top producer of wind power, renewable energy businesspeople say, because of tax breaks the state gives businesses.

"Horizon moved here in 2000-2001 not because Oregon was the best wind resource in the nation, but because of the policies coming out of the Legislature," said Elon Hasson, project manager for Horizon Wind Energy. "And, because of that, it has become quite successful."

A bill under consideration in the state Senate could reduce those tax breaks substantially. Amendments to House Bill 2472 would reduce the maximum credit for renewable energy projects from $10 million to $3 million.

To read more: click here.

The number of green jobs grew faster in Oregon in recent years compared than the overall job market, a new study has found.

Researchers at the Pew Charitable Trusts took a state-by-state look at the green economy to see whether it's really creating the investment and employment officials hope it will.

The study found that jobs in Oregon's clean energy economy grew at a rate of 50.7 percent between 1998 and 2007 while state job growth overall was 7.5 percent.

To read more: click here.

On June 10, the Oregon Convention Center will be hosting the third annual "Powering the Northwest" energy conference. Due to feedback from previous conferences, this year will focus specifically on wind energy and the question of how to source the components of wind turbines.

According to the Daily Journal of Commerce, conference board member Dan Riggs stated that "nearly half the cost of components for wind turbines sold in the United States is for transportation. If the turbines were built in the U.S. – and more specifically, Portland – it would be a boost to our economy and the turbines would be cheaper."

To learn more about the conference: click here.

Incentives for Wind & Solar Proposed

According to the Portland Business Journal, the city of Portland may be taking steps to become the "most sustainable" city in the world. On Friday, the mayor mentioned the following proposals:

Additionally, the mayor mentioned that "he met with Ditlev Engel, CEO of Vestas Wind Systems, last week. The company could soon build a North American headquarters in the South Waterfront that could employ 850 and inject $250 million into the local economy."

Learn more about the mayor's proposals: click here.

"The Oregon Way" Could Mean Big Green Jobs

Could Oregon soon be the home of “the largest solar highway in the world?” Or a “green” prison in Junction City? These are just a couple of the ideas that Governor Kulongoski has proposed for development by “The Oregon Way Advisory Group,” the panel that will lead the way in distributing Oregon’s share of the recently passed federal economic stimulus package.

Learn more about how the Federal Stimulus Plan will affect Oregon’s economy: click here.

Image courtesy of The Obama-Biden Transition Project

Obama administration could mean green jobs

If Barack Obama has his way, the country will invest $15 billion in renewable energy annually over the next decade, putting 1 million plug-in cars on the road and creating 5 million green jobs.

It’s an ambitious plan for sure, but it’s also one that could stimulate Oregon’s business scene more than any other proposal the incoming president has so far laid out. Learn more...

New LEED Standards

The U.S. Green Building Council has announced that a new version of the LEED standards called "LEED 2009" has been passed and will take effect next year. According to www.ecogeek.org:

"LEED 2009 will incorporate highly anticipated regional credits, extra points that have been identified as priorities within a project's given environmental zone. LEED has also undergone a scientifically grounded re-weighting of credits, changing allocation of points among LEED credits to reflect climate change and energy efficiency as urgent priorities." Learn more...

Read more in our archives...