Long-term partnership
As the region’s major utility, Portland General Electric has formed a long-term strategic partnership (PDF) with Portland State University, the region’s major urban university, to promote the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of our area.

Our goal is to assist our customers with energy-related decisions; promote sustainable economic growth in the region; and be a leader in green energy and electric vehicles.

PGE and PSU are working together on research, economic development, community projects, and professional training in two areas:

• Urban mobility
• Integration of energy and sustainable design

Urban mobility
The Willamette Valley region is positioned to be the leading electric vehicle (EV) launch market in the nation. PSU and PGE already worked together on planning for the introduction of electric vehicles, by sponsoring the EV Roadmap conference in 2009 and other events convening industry, government and academic leaders.

Moving forward, PSU and PGE will continue to lead EV planning and education events. Future efforts include studying charging station infrastructure issues, rolling out test vehicle fleets, analyzing consumer response, and policy development. PSU and PGE will also work to bolster the region’s growing electric vehicle manufacturing, charging and supplier industry.

Integrating energy and sustainable design
A sustainable environment requires innovations in how we design and power urban areas. The two organizations are already working together on issues such as creating and implementing smart grid technologies. With support from PGE, PSU offered “Planning the Smart Grid for Sustainable Communities,” a course to help graduate students and professionals better understand the challenges related to creating a smart grid in Oregon.

PGE has also contributed to a National Science Foundation-funded project at PSU, studying how solar panels and green roofs can be installed together on buildings to improve energy generation and efficiency.

PSU and PGE will continue to study the connections between energy and sustainable design, while also exploring test sites for these technologies, through ecodistricts, the Oregon Sustainability Center and other locations.

New renewable research lab
In support of this partnership, the PGE Foundation committed $50,000 to PSU over two years to establish the PGE Foundation Renewable Energy Research Laboratory for the development of renewable energy solutions. The PGE Foundation Laboratory will support continued growth in PSU’s science and technology programs.