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Portland weighs emissions rules for large commercial and apartment buildings
A proposed city code would require buildings of at least 20,000 square feet to report energy use and steadily cut fossil-fuel consumption, with a goal of zero carbon emissions by 2050. After contentious testimony, the measure is scheduled to return to committee Dec. 1 for a possible vote.
Portland officials are considering a proposal that would require owners of large apartment and commercial buildings to track their energy use and reduce carbon emissions over time, with a target of zero emissions by 2050.
The draft code would apply to buildings of 20,000 square feet or larger, with some exceptions. Owners would report energy data, including annual natural-gas use, and meet progressively stricter performance standards. Buildings that exceed their targets could face a carbon pollution impact fee, initially set at $380 for each metric ton of carbon-dioxide-equivalent emissions above the limit each year. The fee could change in the future.
The proposal drew more than two hours of sharply divided testimony Tuesday before the City Council’s Housing and Permitting Committee. Committee chair Candace Avalos scheduled it to return Dec. 1 for a potential vote; the draft has not been approved.
Natural-gas and property-industry representatives criticized the process and raised concerns about the effects of reducing gas use. NW Natural lobbyist Amy Rathfelder said stakeholders had been excluded from discussions that shaped the proposal. Company lobbyist Jennifer Yocom argued the draft did not adequately consider how residents would heat their homes during a cold-weather power outage, calling that “a fundamental flaw.”
Supporters said the city should set firm limits on pollution from buildings. Jordan Lewis, a lobbyist for the Portland Democratic Socialists of America, criticized what he described as industry efforts to weaken climate policy, comparing giving NW Natural and other polluters a role in shaping it to “giving car keys to a known carjacker.”
The hearing also turned contentious when real estate official Brian Owendoff used a slur for people with intellectual disabilities during testimony opposing the proposal. Avalos told him to leave. Councilor Mitch Green later called Owendoff’s comments deplorable and said the chair was right to remove him. Avalos said she would not tolerate the behavior.
If adopted, the code would put large buildings on a decades-long path to reduce fossil-fuel use, while requiring the city to balance its climate goals with questions about costs, implementation and reliable heat during power outages.