Portland Progress
Buildings & energy
2 In Action
14 in progress
8 not started
(updated December 2023)
Pursue power purchase agreements (PPAs) to reach 100% renewable energy for city facilities ahead of state renewable portfolio standard (RPS) schedule.
Status: In Progress
Update: Have installed solar at Ocean Avenue Landfill, the Portland Jetport, the Homeless Service Center, and Riverside Golf Course. The City has Net Energy Billing agreements with more than 20 off-site renewable energy projects that will cover about two-thirds of the City’s annual electricity consumption. (updated December 2023)
Transformative potential: Regenerative, resilient
Key Milestones: All municipal electricity use met by renewable energy by 2032
Pursue net-zero energy (NZE) buildings for new city government buildings through performance-based procurement.
Status: In Progress
Update: Completed construction of new Homeless Service Center (654 Riverside Street), a high-performance, LEED-certified building powered by a 107.8 kW PV array installed on the building’s roof (2023).
Transformative potential: Regenerative, resilient
Key Milestones: All newly constructed or gut-rehabbed city buildings to be NZE or NZE-ready starting in 2026
Develop a strategic energy management plan (SEMP) for all city facilities and lead by example by pursuing deep energy retrofits and electrification for large existing city buildings.
Status: In Progress
Update: Currently undertaking an analysis of the James A. Banks, Sr. Exposition Building and reviewing several fire stations for energy efficiency projects. (updated December 2023)
Transformative potential: Regenerative, resilient
Key Milestones: SEMPs commissioned by 2025; deep energy retrofits underway by 2026; all retrofits to be net zero energy completed by 2030
Create either a shadow carbon price for evaluating all city decisions, and/or an internal carbon charge paid to a central climate emergency fund.
Status: Not Started
Update: Mid-term Strategy
Transformative potential: Equitable, regenerative, resilient
Key Milestones: Municipal shadow carbon price or carbon charge implemented by 2026
Advocate for an advanced energy stretch code with an optional net-zero energy compliance path, and adopt the stretch code once finalized. Advocate for the stretch code to require net-zero energy buildings by 2030.
Status: In Action
Update: Adopted Maine Energy Stretch Code (IECC 2021); learning and leading on building inspections. (updated December 2023)
Transformative potential: Regenerative, resilient
Key Milestone: Energy stretch code adopted immediately upon finalization; all new buildings to be net-zero energy starting in 2030
Adopt or advocate for solar-ready and EV-ready requirements for new construction, followed by renewable energy generation building code requirements.
Status: In Progress
Update: Updated the Technical Manual to require EV charging for all new parking lots with 10 or more spaces (2021). Updated Technical Manual to streamline installation of EV charging stations (2023). Further improving EV standards in Technical Manual, enforcing EV requirements, and reducing barriers to the installation of solar on private property. (updated December 2023)
Transformative potential: Regenerative
Key Milestone: EV-ready/solar-ready requirements to be implemented by 2028; on-site solar requirements to be implemented by 2032
Ensure code compliance in all buildings through increased investment in robust code enforcement.
Status: Not Started
Update: Mid-term Strategy; Add capacity in Building and Inspections to review energy models for advanced energy codes.
Transformative potential: Equitable, regenerative, resilient
Key Milestone: At least one staff person or consultant hired to review energy models by 2026
Partner with organizations in the building sector to develop and promote platforms for education and leadership in high-performance buildings.
Status: In Progress
Update: Conducted feedback sessions with efficiency leaders in the local building sector (2021). Continue working with local organizations (like Portland Society for Architecture and Passivhaus) to encourage energy-efficient building practices. (updated December 2023)
Transformative potential: Regenerative, resilient
Key Milestone: One or more platforms for high-performance building leadership and education launched by 2024
Expand Portland and South Portland’s energy benchmarking programs, and couple with outreach programs to turn energy savings opportunities into action.
Status: In Progress
Update: Launched a benchmarking program to improve compliance with the Benchmarking Ordinance for single-occupant buildings over 20,000 square feet (2019). Launched use of an online customer service platform to improve communication with building owners. This has drastically improved data quality of Energy Benchmarking reports. Continuing to encourage the utility to provide whole-building energy data in a convenient online format and anticipate multi-tenant building reports starting in 2025. (updated December 2023)
Transformative potential: Regenerative, resilient
Key Milestone: 80%+ compliance achieved within 2 years of utility data access challenge resolved, ideally by 2025
Incorporate tune-up or performance standards into the Cities’ benchmarking programs for large buildings to achieve carbon savings, and strengthen coordinated job-training programs to support building retrofits.
Status: Not Started
Update: Mid-term Strategy
Transformative potential: Equitable, regenerative, resilient
Key Milestone: Performance standards identified within 2 years of fully implemented benchmarking with requirements adopted in following year
Expand statewide and local energy efficiency spending; advocate for changes in Efficiency Maine spending that remove barriers for fuel switching.
Status: In Progress
Update: Advocated for several state-level bills to increase funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy such as C-PACE and the Energy accelerator (2021). Adopted C-PACE ordinance (2023). Continuing to advocate at the state level. Applied for an Energy Future grant from the Department of Energy to support energy efficiency and decarbonization efforts. (updated December 2023)
Transformative potential: Equitable, regenerative, resilient
Key Milestone: By 2025, Efficiency Maine spending is equivalent to 5% of total electric sales and 2% of residential natural gas sales
Launch a program to shift single family homes and larger multifamily and commercial buildings from fuel oil directly to all-electric heating and cooling.
Status: In Progress
Update: The Electrify Everything! program launched and assisted in over 100 residential electrification/solar projects in Portland (2022). Awarded funding for robust Electrify Everything! campaign (2023).
Transformative potential: Regenerative, resilient
Key Milestone: Electrification incentive program launched by 2023; oil tanks to be code compliant or decommissioned by 2028
Launch bulk buy programs for solar power and heat pumps, paired with electric vehicles as appropriate.
Status: In Progress
Update: The Electrify Everything! program launched and assisted in over 100 residential electrification/solar projects in Portland (2022). Seeking grant funding to support future iterations.
Transformative potential: Equitable, regenerative
Key Milestone: Bulk buy program launched by 2023
Continue to enhance the attractiveness of solar through a solar proliferation strategy, as well as offering financial and/or structural incentives.
Status: In Progress
Update: The Electrify Everything! program launched and assisted in over 100 residential electrification/solar projects in Portland (2022). Portland launched a new partnership with EnergySage, a web-based platform that helps homeowners, businesses, and nonprofits research and shop for rooftop solar, community solar subscriptions, and other clean energy solutions (2023).
Transformative potential: Equitable, regenerative, resilient
Key Milestone: Solar proliferation strategy launched by 2023; 50 MW of solar installed in the cities by 2030 and 245 MW of solar installed by 2050
Require minimum energy efficiency standards for residential rental properties to decrease energy use, increase thermal comfort, and reduce energy costs paid by renters.
Status: In Progress
Update: Building relationships with housing providers and key stakeholders to explore future action. (updated December 2023)
Transformative potential: Equitable, regenerative, resilient
Key Milestone: Determination of whether to proceed with a rental minimum energy efficiency program by 2026
Advocate for expanded energy efficiency incentives for large industrial users.
Status: Not Started
Update: Upcoming, will meet with key industries, Efficiency Maine. (updated December 2023)
Transformative potential: Regenerative
Key Milestone: Automatic industrial opt-out provision removed by 2028
Advocate for a statewide study on energy efficiency and decarbonization opportunities in the industrial sector to better target industrial combined heat and power, heat recovery, and renewable fuel oil or biogas.
Status: Not Started
Update: None
Transformative potential: Regenerative, resilient
Key Milestone: Industrial efficiency decarbonization study completed by 2025
Continue to advocate for full, timely, and cost-effective implementation of Maine’s renewable portfolio standard; in case it becomes necessary, advocate for municipal authority to bulk procure renewable power on behalf of residents, businesses, and municipal users.
Status: In Action
Update: RPS bill passed; continues to be on track. (updated December 2023)
Transformative potential: Equitable, regenerative, resilient
Key Milestone: Electricity to be 80% renewable by 2030 and 100% renewable by 2050
Reform data access by pursuing legislation that would require utilities to disclose data with building owners and municipalities.
Status: In Progress
Update: Advocated for legislation mandating PUC issue an RFI to inform the development of a statewide aggregated data platform (2021). Working with Central Maine Power to test an updated version of their customer energy management platform that will provide multi-tenant building owners with aggregated whole building energy data. We anticipate that the platform will launch in 2024. (updated December 2023)
Transformative potential: Regenerative, resilient
Key Milestone: Access to whole building and citywide data by 2024; access to automated data connection by 2024
Advocate for regulatory reforms to support statewide electrification and the integration of distributed energy resources.
Status: In Progress
Update: Participating in statewide discussions about rate design, DER strategy, and innovation; advocating for legislation to support reforms. (updated December 2023)
Transformative potential: Regenerative, resilient
Key Milestone: Continue to build on 2020 legislative initiatives
Identify opportunities and encourage the development of fully electric low temperature thermal district energy systems for new and existing developments and campuses.
Status: Not Started
Update: None
Transformative potential: Regenerative, resilient
Key Milestone: All new development over 500,000 square feet to evaluate district energy/microgrids starting within one year of microgrid enabling legislation
Improve the efficiency and capacity of transmission and distribution networks to improve electricity supply to Portland and South Portland.
Status: In Progress
Update: Collaborated with Cruise Maine to commission a feasibility study for adding shore power to the cruise ship berths (2023). We continue to work with Central Maine Power to understand the capacity of the local electricity grid; participating in non-wires alternative (NWA) docket at PUC. (updated December 2023)
Transformative potential: Regenerative, resilient
Key Milestone: Hosting capacity study launched by 2025
Advocate for a state-level ban on new intrastate natural pipelines and any state support for interstate gas pipelines, and advocate for allowing local jurisdictions to limit new and expanded natural gas connections.
Status: Not Started
Update: Successfully advocated against LD 89, “An Act to Preserve Heating and Energy Choice by Prohibiting a Municipality from Prohibiting a Particular Energy System or Energy Distributor”; if passed, this bill would prevent the City from adopting policies restricting the use of fossil fuel heating/cooling infrastructure in new buildings or major retrofits (2023).
Transformative potential: Equitable, regenerative, resilient
Key Milestone: A just plan for transitioning to clean heating developed by 2025; statewide restrictions on new interstate and intrastate gas pipelines in place by 2030, along with defined timeframes for phasing out natural gas
Continue to advocate for carbon pricing at national, regional, and statewide scales.
Status: Not Started
Update: Long-term Strategy; Portland City Council passed a resolution supporting a national carbon fee and dividend policy (2017).
Transformative potential: Equitable, regenerative
Key Milestone: Price on carbon as soon as feasible at national, regional, or statewide scale
