Oct. 30, 2008

Portland, Ore.  — Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR) is the winner of the 2008 Green Power Beacon Award in recognition of its innovative online approach to marketing green power through its Web site, GreenPowerOregon.com. 

The Center for Resource annual national award recognizes an organization for an innovative marketing campaign to increase widespread awareness of renewable energy options.  It was presented to PGE by CRS at the 2008 National Renewable Energy Marketing Conference in Denver.

CRS co-sponsors the Green Power Leadership Awards in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  PGE won the Department of Energy’s Green Power Program of the Year Award in 2006.  

In launching GreenPowerOregon.com  last spring, PGE created an online “green community” to bring together business and residential renewable power customers. The site includes detailed information on renewable energy — what it is and how it works — and resources for residential and business customers interested in plugging in to the local green power community. PGE has almost 70,000 customers enrolled in its renewable power programs.

“We are honored to once again receive a national Green Power Leadership Award,” said Thor Hinckley, PGE’s renewable power program manager. “We’re one of only a few utilities in the nation to offer such an online resource, and we think it is an exciting, dynamic way to reach our customers.”

There are several key interactive elements on the site, including:

• an easy-to-use green power calculator that shows the cost and environmental impact of customer energy choices;
• a map of wind farms and solar installations in the Northwest;
• a "greenest neighborhood" map that lets customers see how their zip code ranks for purchasing renewable power;
• a searchable database of local businesses powered by PGE renewable energy.

“The Center for Resource Solutions is proud to honor PGE, whose continuous efforts are significantly advancing the market for renewable energy," said Arthur O’Donnell, CRS executive director. “By launching GreenPowerOregon.com, PGE is showing its commitment, innovation and dedication in supporting the fight against climate change.”

PGE has a history of leadership in offering renewable energy and protecting the environment.  In 2000, PGE was one of the first utilities in the nation to launch a renewable energy marketing program.

PGE ranks first in the nation for residential renewable power purchased by customers, and second for total number of customers registered for a green power option, according to the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

PGE offers residential and small commercial customers Clean Wind^SM, Green Source^SM and Habitat Support, and a Clean Wind product for large commercial customers.

For more information about the awards, visit the Renewable Energy Marketing Web site.