How do you transform a neighborhood into a virtual power plant while reducing utility bills and avoiding greenhouse gas emissions? Portland General Electric (PGE) and partner organizations aim to find out thanks to a $6.65 million Connected Communities grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for the Smart Grid Asset Load Management & Optimized Neighborhood (SALMON) project.

A collaboration between PGE, Energy Trust, Community Energy Project, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the SALMON project will retrofit 580 homes and buildings in the Overlook and Arbor Lodge neighborhoods in North Portland over five years, improving energy efficiency by an average of 10%. Planning starts in January 2022 and outreach to customers is anticipated to begin early in 2023.

Learn more about the SALMON project.