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Multnomah County reports operations emissions 68% below baseline but warns progress has plateaued
Summary
County staff told the Board of Commissioners that fiscal-year 2025 operations emissions were 68% below the fiscal-year 7 baseline, exceeding the board’s 2030 goal, but recent years show a plateau; staff flagged fleet decarbonization, building electrification and new battery storage as priorities.
At a Multnomah County Board of Commissioners briefing, county sustainability and facilities staff reported that fiscal-year 2025 greenhouse-gas emissions from county operations were 68% below the fiscal-year 7 baseline — ahead of the board’s 2030 goal — but cautioned that recent years show little further decline.
Tim Lynch, senior policy analyst in the Office of Sustainability, said the large cumulative reduction reflects years of investment in efficiency and renewable energy, but that “more work is needed, particularly in reducing natural gas use in existing buildings and decarbonizing the county’s fleet.” He emphasized that operational emissions have flattened and additional interventions will be required to resume progress.
The presentation reviewed several operational measures the county is advancing. Staff said the county amended its high-performance green building policy in 2023 to require new county buildings to avoid fossil-fuel systems for space and water heating; new library projects were cited as meeting those standards. Jeff Lewis, assistant director for client and support services in Facilities (DCA), highlighted the Al Albino library and said the county has begun installing measures such as rooftop solar and energy-efficient designs.
On fleet electrification, staff reported the county currently operates about 40 hybrid vehicles and 10 battery electric vehicles and has installed more than 45 EV chargers to support county operations and public access. Lynch and Lewis said the Office of Sustainability is working with the Department of County Assets on an enterprise‑wide fleet decarbonization policy that will be presented to the board later this year.
Staff also described electricity sourcing and resilience efforts. The county purchases renewable electricity through contracts and has added on-site solar; presenters said the county’s operations have used 100% renewable sources of electricity since fiscal year 18. For the new East County Library, staff announced the addition of a large‑scale battery energy storage system paired with a partnership with Portland General Electric that will substantially offset project costs and provide site resilience.
Energy use intensity across the county portfolio was reported at about 26% below the fiscal‑year 7 baseline, and staff described building automation and real‑time monitoring work that contributed to year‑over‑year energy savings. Lynch’s presentation included an estimate that the county avoided more than $2.5 million in energy and utility costs in fiscal year 25 because of past conservation efforts.
Staff described a near‑term project already underway: the Rockwood Community Center upgrade, which was previously approved by the board; construction mobilization has started and staff said the retrofit will replace fossil‑fuel heating and hot‑water systems with high‑efficiency electric systems, add EV chargers and install rooftop solar.
The briefing closed with staff listing three near-term policy items: the countywide fleet decarbonization policy, an updated energy policy for existing buildings, and further integration of conservation goals into capital planning. Commissioners asked questions about criteria for future building purchases and replacements, tradeoffs when rehabbing older buildings, and how board direction could accelerate action. Lynch and Lewis asked for clear guidance from the board on timing and tradeoffs as staff finalize policy proposals.
