PECI – Community. Energy. People.

Forty-four Years of Energy Leadership

From conservation to climate justice

The arc of Portland Energy Conservation, Inc. (PECI) spanned 44 years, from 1979 through 2023. During this time, PECI was on the leading edge of technologies and implementation tools – from its ambitious beginnings as a small non-profit promoting energy conservation, to its growing role as a not-for-profit company with national stature and impact, to its concluding chapter as an organization working in partnership with others to promote clean energy and climate justice efforts in the Northwest. As the organization wraps up, the team is very happy to celebrate the significant climate and justice accomplishments of our many grantees and partners.

PECI’s Early Years

Citywide Energy Efficiency Improvements

Portland Energy Conservation, Inc. was formed as a nonprofit by the city of Portland to provide loans to businesses and homeowners to undertake energy audits and weatherization retrofits. Over the next 35 years, PECI developed a nationally-recognized portfolio of energy efficiency programs, addressing existing buildings, new construction and commissioning. Click to read our full origin story.

Community Energy Projects

In 2014, PECI sold its energy efficiency program assets and refocused its efforts on developing resilient communities that thrive in the new energy economy. The group provided technical and program assistance to keep communities at the center of an affordable, equitable and low-carbon future. PECI also helped these communities pursue their goals of stabilizing energy costs, generating future revenue and positioning the local workforce for emerging energy sector jobs.

PECI’s Final Five Years: Climate and Justice

From 2019 through 2023, PECI focused on policy advancement in transportation decarbonization, reducing the climate impact of buildings, lifting up environmental justice voices in climate policy-making, and increasing EJ- and climate-focused engagement in utility regulation. Below are some of the leading non-profit partners that received support through PECI’s grant-making and and collaboration:

Nonprofits working to put all buildings in Oregon on the path to zero energy through collaboration in the Zero Energy Ready Oregon (ZERO) coalition.
A coalition of nonprofits working toward clean and equitable transportation for Oregonians, led by Climate Solutions, Forth, Oregon Environmental Council and Verde.
Organizations focusing on environmental justice, including APANO, Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI), the Coalition of Communities of Color (CCC), Imagine Black, Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN) and Verde.
Nonprofits working on climate-related regulatory and policy issues, including NW Energy Coalition, Oregon Solar + Storage Industries Association,Oregon for Climate Action, Renewable Northwest and Renew Oregon.

These leading groups, in turn, supported collaboration across dozens of other community and advocacy organizations. For a more complete recap of the pivotal climate and justice successes of these organizations, please see PECI’s Last Chapter – An Overview of the Final Five Years.

Looking Ahead

PECI is proud to celebrate the amazing work of its many grantees over the last five years. Their expertise, commitment, leadership, and collaboration helped set the stage for several historic policy successes in addressing climate change and advancing environmental justice in Oregon. At the same time, the Northwest faces huge impediments and barriers to implementing, defending, and strengthening these and other related policies.

The conclusion of PECI funding leaves a significant void (about $1 million/year) that supported the voices and creative policy and programmatic ideas of grassroots climate and environmental justice groups. In response, PECI hopes that foundations, agencies, funds, and others will step in to support these essential partnerships and ongoing collaborative work.