On April 10, 2025, Portland's Climate, Resilience, and Land Use Committee reviewed a proposal from City Council Member Steve Novick to increase the Clean Energy Surcharge (CES) rate from 1% to 1.33%. The additional revenue from this increase would be redirected into Portland's general fund, instead of the voter-approved Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF). This proposal raises questions regarding Portland's authority to modify a voter-approved tax.
The CES, which voters approved in November 2018 and took...
