City of Portland Sustainability Measures

A few highlights of City of Portland efforts to reduce energy and water consumption, reduce waste and keep Portland's air and water clean.

The City has saved over $18 million in energy bill savings since 1992 by implementing energy efficiency measures. The lighting upgrades in the Portland Building alone have resulted in $80,000 in annual savings

We have upgraded countless traffic lights, reducing energy use by about 85% -- enough to power over 400 homes each year. We have also re-timed many traffic lights to improve traffic flow, saving motorists nearly 17-million gallons of gas a year - the same as taking 27,000 cars off the road.

The Portland Building now has an ecoroof with over 14,000 plants that will help reduce stormwater runoff and increase the building’s insulation.

We use the excess methane produced at the wastewater treatment plant to generate electricity.

We recycle and then reuse thousands of yards of concrete and asphalt, and make compost out of the leaves picked up by our street-sweepers -- Saving nearly $3 million a year.

We have over 30 electric-hybrid vehicles and 50 "flex-fuel vehicles" (which can run on fuel containing 85% ethanol).  All of our diesel vehicles and equipment have been running on 20% biodiesel and some vehicles use even higher blends of biodiesel.

Our integrated pest management programs reduce use of pesticides, and ours is the only “Salmon Safe” parks system in the country.

A majority of the decorative fountains in the city re-circulate the water, saving millions of gallons of water every year.  We have even reduced the water used by the Benson Bubblers by almost 50%.

All City employees are making efforts to reduce waste, recycle more, minimize paper consumption and buy products containing recycled materials.