Editorial: Scrutiny begets progress in Portland Clean Energy Fund

Giving away $120 million isn’t as easy as it might sound, as Portland Clean Energy Fund officials are finding.After months of reviewing, questioning and reworking applications from nonprofits seeking money from the city’s Clean Energy Fund, program officials sought – and received – approval of their recommended list of 65 projects by the Portland City Council last week. But not without a directive to examine the grant applications even more to ensure they are solid investments to make.As much as some bristle over such scrutiny, this is exactly what city officials must do if they want the Clean Energy Fund to succeed. Already, the young program botched the awarding of its single largest grant – an $11.5 million contract to buy, store and coordinate with other nonprofits to install 15,000 cooling units over five years. City Council rescinded the award after an…

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