Clackamas County is proud to announce Energize Clackamas County - a new array of energy efficiency efforts and programs. These programs include cash incentives and well as outreach and education for county residents and employees.

Initiatives include partnering with Energy Trust of Oregon to provide additional cash incentives for energy efficiency retrofits of homes, rebates for energy efficiency upgrades to Main Street Businesses, and rebates for new homes that are constructed to exceed the current energy code requirements. We will also participate with the newly established Clean Energy Works Oregon for low interest loans for weatherization of homes, with repayment on the utility bills. County buildings are undergoing energy assessments and retrofits will take place in several of them. An active solar system on our Development Services Building will be installed by summer of 2011.

For more information on the Energize Clackamas County programs, see Energize Rebates.

These new programs are made possible by a federal grant, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block (EECBG) established as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

The Office of Sustainability is managing this grant and a State Energy Program Grant for public building retrofits in partnership with several other County divisions.

State Energy Program Grant. Clackamas County was awarded $400,000 in ARRA funds managed by the Oregon Department of Energy. The County is using these grants in 2010 to upgrade several buildings with efficient lighting, new insulation, boilers, and windows. This effort will be expanded to approximately eight other county buildings with the additional funding from the new Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG).

Other ARRA energy grants to Clackamas County include $2.1 million for the County's Weatherization Assistance Program for income-qualified residents, and $1.5 million for the County's Housing Authority for improvements and energy retrofits in public housing.

State Energy Program Grant

In recent years the County has seen a reduction in energy use per employee in its buildings. Facilities Management regularly upgrades buildings with more efficient HVAC and lighting equipment when funds are available; many County employees work in two LEED certified buildings and a third, the Sunnybrook Services Center, is undergoing a renovation that will result in LEED Gold certification. Several of our more than 50 buildings, however, remain inefficient. In fiscal year 09-10 the Office of Sustainability applied for and was awarded $400,000 in ARRA funds available through the Oregon Department of Energy. The County's Facilities Management department is using these grants in 2010 to upgrade several buildings with efficient lighting, new insulation, boilers, and windows.  Our SEP grant will fund the following projects: