PGE’s Drive Change Fund grant applications open

Portland, Ore. – Applications for Portland General Electric’s Drive Change Fund grant opened February 1, 2024, kickstarting a two-month long application window that runs until April 1. Five years after the Drive Change Fund began, PGE continues to support increased electrification through partnerships with organizations across its service area.

Drive Change Fund (DCF) is an open and competitive grant fund that supports diverse transportation electrification projects and is one of the various ways PGE promotes the transition to an electrified future while reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.

Made possible through the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s Oregon Clean Fuels Program, PGE uses the Clean Fuels funds to advance local electric transportation projects for nonresidential customers, organizations and governmental entities, especially in communities that traditionally lack access to these emerging technologies.

Since 2019, Drive Change Fund has resulted in the purchase and installation of:

• 127 electric vehicles

• 106 electric bikes

• 12 other vehicles, including tractors, street sweepers, garbage trucks and forklifts

• 200+ charging ports

A DCF grant leads to more than just funding – it also means partnership with PGE from start to finish, from the project’s initial application to the day an EV hits the streets. Organizations have used their DCF grant to not only reduce emissions, but also drive meaningful change in communities across Oregon.

Meals on Wheels, for instance, is delivering food to people in need with an emissions-free van. COR Disposal & Recycling’s all-electric garbage truck , the first of its kind in Oregon, performs garbage collections in East Portland with less noise and air pollution. Portland State University students who live further away from campus now have an option to commute on e-bikes to campus instead of driving a car.

If you represent or know of an organization that might benefit from this fund, you can help spread the word and apply. For details about the application process, please visit our Drive Change Fund page, or email PGEDriveChangeFund@pgn.com.

“PGE is committed to advancing transportation electrification across our service area. We are thrilled to support organizations and help them help lead the way to a cleaner and more equitable future in their local communities through the Oregon DEQ’s Clean Fuels Program via the Drive Change Fund.”

- Juliae Riva, Staff Product Specialist. Transportation Electrification