Portland’s Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund has released draft guidelines for its 2026 Community Grants cycle and is asking residents to weigh in before roughly $60 million in climate money goes out the door. The public comment window runs through March 10, the online survey closes earlier on March 6, and grant applications are slated to open March 25 with a deadline of May 27. Community groups eyeing this round of funding are being urged to dig into the draft allocation and scoring rules now so they can help shape how the cash is ultimately awarded.
The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability flagged the draft packet in a February Facebook post, calling on Portlanders to share feedback to help “build trust, foster equity, and strengthen a shared vision for climate justice.” In that post, Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability pointed people to the city’s comment page, draft materials, and online survey.
What's in the draft materials
The documents now out for public review include proposed funding allocations and eligibility rules, draft scoring criteria, and application forms for both planning and implementation grants. According to the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, planning grants are capped at either $100,000 or $200,000 depending on the scope of work. Implementation grants can run for up to five years and may support both physical projects and non-physical efforts.
For the 2026 cycle, the fund plans to spread money across five major buckets: energy efficiency and renewable energy, regenerative agriculture and green infrastructure, workforce and contractor development, transportation decarbonization, and other projects that cut greenhouse gas emissions. Up to $60 million is expected to be available across those categories.
Why it matters
Portland’s clean-energy fund has grown into a heavyweight local source of climate justice dollars. Last year, PCEF signed off on about $64.4 million for 60 nonprofit projects, illustrating the scale of what is at stake in each grant cycle. As reported by OPB, past grants have backed everything from housing retrofits to e-bike programs and workforce training, all of which could be influenced by how the 2026 rules and scoring criteria are finalized.
How to weigh in
Residents and community organizations have a few ways to get their comments on the record. The online survey is open through 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6, and written comments can be emailed to [email protected] through March 10. PCEF staff will gather and summarize public input once the window closes.
A Community Grants kick-off and technical assistance event is scheduled for March 5 at the Smith Memorial Student Union to help prospective applicants get ready, according to the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. For anyone hoping to land a slice of that $60 million, showing up early in the process might be as important as nailing the final application.
