Electrifying New Grant Opens July 1: PGE Drive Change Fund
By Kathy Bazan, BRC Consultant
BRCConsultant@tualatinchamber.com
June 24, 2020
I. Drive Change Fund: portlandgeneral.com/drivechange
Currently, 40% of Oregon’s greenhouse gas emissions come from gas powered vehicles. To drive the change to electric vehicles (EV), Portland General Electric is funding $2.25 million of grants to educate consumers and provide viable EV transportation.
Who can apply for a grant?
Businesses
Community organizations and
Non-profits.
When can we apply?
July 1-September 1, 2020 at 5 PM Pacific
Timeline:
They hope to select projects in fall.
They hope to have award agreements in place by the end of this year.
How many grants did they fund in the last round?
16
Largest grant available to one recipient?
$750,000
What categories of projects are open?
to advance electric vehicle adoption,
to create more EV charging infrastructure and/or
develop education programs in the communities PGE serves.
Examples:
A non-profit could create an outreach program to educate adults and children about their access to—and benefits of—electric vehicles.
A government or social services agency might buy electric vehicles to provide transportation to vulnerable populations.
A business, such as an apartment complex leasing office, could create a subsidized electric car-share program at the apartments.
Key terms to use when writing your grant:
committed to decarbonize and electrify transportation
help us work toward creating a clean energy future
projects expanding access to electric mobility in Oregon
positive impacts you make on our community
advancing transportation electrification throughout our state.
The Drive Change Fund has stated preferences for:
projects which benefit residential customers through direct interactions with the vehicles
educational programs which focus on addressing barriers to increased adoptions of electrified transportation
projects using new electric vehicles are preferred over projects utilizing previously loved (e.g., used) electric vehicles
projects using full battery EVs (not plug-in hybrids)
organizations outside of Metro Portland
projects which serve communities of color.
II. Financial Assistance
To qualify for the $2,000 grant, eligible entities must:
Be incorporated as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit, charitable entity
Have an annual operating budget of less than $2 million
Must be eligible to contract or partner with third parties on the DCF application
Must be connected to an eligible 2020 DCF application.
Additional application information will be available on YouTube in early July.
As a BRC Consultant, I am happy to help you with your grant application. Since my job is paid for by your taxpayer dollars, all of my work with you is free of charge and is confidential Contact me at (503) 692-0780 or brcconsultant@tualatinchamber.com.
Contact for DCF:
Contact: Dan Janosec, Grants Manager
Daniel.Janosec@pgn.com
503-464-7826