Our very own In-Homes Program Director, Jim Plantico, is now a member of the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) High Road Advisory Council.

“This 11-member council was created to provide guidance regarding a range of workforce and contracting issues. The High Road Advisory Council members were selected from a robust application pool and represent diverse areas of expertise across PCEF’s funding areas including energy efficiency, renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, green infrastructure, workforce development, and contractor development.” Credit: PCEF High Road Advisory Council Press Release.

Jim will represent CEP and contribute his extensive knowledge of home health and safety barriers in order to provide efficiency upgrades in the low income market. As a former contractor, Jim understands the importance of providing employees with benefits and a great work environment, while also taking into consideration the true cost of business. 

“As a member of the PCEF High Road Advisory Council, I’m living proof that you can take the high road, build a business, and balance the needs of employers. For over 10 years, my company, Abacus Energy Solutions, LLC did just that. I sold that business in 2020 and have since been focused on developing new contractors while weatherizing low income and BIPOC homes as the In-homes Program Director for Community Energy Project.”

Jim comes from a background in community outreach. He previously served as the president of the High Road Contractors & Community Alliance (HRCCA). The HRCCA’s Weatherize for Good program promoted weatherization and living wage jobs with full benefits for disadvantaged workers from job training programs such as Oregon Tradeswomen, affinity groups, and other member organizations like the Sierra Club of Oregon. The HRCCA retrofitted over 75 homes in the Portland area and donated more than $20,000 to their promoting organizations. 

“My business success was achieved with help. I was laid off during the great recession and would have been near homeless if not for the American Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA). Abacus Energy Solutions, LLC was partially created through ARRA funds. It provided me a livelihood, and, by 2010, Abacus Energy Solutions, LLC was hiring other out of work individuals, eventually growing to a staff of twelve. Providing a living wage to those in need is one of my proudest achievements of my career. Through the PCEF High Road Advisory Council, I can share my story  – proving that implementing a business model based on taking the “high road” is not only possible, but also successful.”