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Eugene, Oregon, voters are scheduled to decide in November on a ballot measure that would charge qualifying large corporations a 2% fee on profits earned within the city. Supporters say it could raise $15 million to $37 million annually for clean energy and community projects; the fee and its effects remain untested in Eugene.
Eugene, Oregon, voters will decide in November whether to impose a fee on some of the country’s largest companies and use the revenue for clean energy and community projects. The measure would charge qualifying firms 2% of their gross profits earned within city limits, and its supporters estimate it could bring in $15 million to $37 million a year.
The fee would apply to companies that make at least $1 billion in gross profits nationally and at least $500,000 in gross profits in Eugene. The proposal names companies such as Amazon, Chase, Home Depot, Walmart and Wells Fargo as examples of firms that could be covered. It exempts profits from groceries, medicines, residential garbage and recycling, and healthcare services.
Revenue would support renewable energy and energy-efficiency programs, clean-energy job training, and green infrastructure such as tree planting. The initiative says funding would prioritize projects benefiting low-income and historically marginalized communities. Potential uses include replacing fossil-fuel equipment in homes and businesses with electric alternatives.
The estimate of $15 million to $37 million in annual revenue is a projection, not money already collected. Eugene’s proposal has support from more than 100 organizations and public figures, according to Dylan Plummer of the Sierra Club. Opponents include business and industry groups, which argue the fee could increase costs for consumers.
A Local Fund for Clean Energy
The measure would give Eugene a local source of funding for climate projects if it passes, rather than relying solely on state or federal programs. That could matter for residents and small businesses seeking help to replace fossil-fuel equipment. Amy Winton, who runs Mexican restaurant Pandita in Eugene, said she cannot afford to replace the restaurant’s gas burners, heaters and outdoor fireplace without financial support.
The proposal also puts a contested policy question before voters: whether fees on large companies can reliably pay for local climate programs without shifting costs to customers. Supporters point to Portland’s experience; opponents say consumers could face higher prices. Neither outcome has yet been established for Eugene.
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Portland’s Earlier Corporate Fee
Portland adopted a related approach in 2018, using a 1% fee on local sales revenue from the largest corporations to support its clean energy fund. A Portland city representative said the fund had collected $1 billion in total as of June. The original forecast was $30 million to $90 million per year, while the program has raised nearly $200 million annually, according to the report. The source attributes the higher collections in large part to online sales.
Portland’s reported projects include more than 400 community grants, workforce training for about 1,500 people, and distribution of more than 24,000 portable air conditioners, mostly heat pumps. The fund’s approach differs from Eugene’s proposed fee: Portland bases its charge on local sales revenue, while Eugene would assess profits earned within city limits. The Building Decarbonization Coalition told Canary Media it was not aware of another city besides Portland with a clean energy fee on billion-dollar corporations.
““We just don’t have the funds” to switch to electric equipment. “If we had the financial backing for it, we could do it.””
— Amy Winton, owner of Pandita
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Revenue and Price Effects Remain Open
The measure has not yet been approved by voters, and the projected revenue is not guaranteed. Eugene’s eventual collections could differ from the estimate, and Portland’s results cannot establish how much Eugene would raise because the cities use different fee bases.
It is also unclear whether businesses would pass any portion of the fee on to customers. The opposition says prices could rise, while supporters dispute that argument, but the source provides no independent analysis quantifying likely price effects. The final details of which companies would owe the fee and how projects would be selected would depend on the measure’s implementation if it passes.
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Eugene Voters Decide in November
The immediate milestone is the November ballot vote. If voters approve the initiative, the city would move toward establishing the fee and administering the climate fund; if they reject it, the proposed funding mechanism would not proceed as written. The source material does not specify an implementation date or provide further details on administrative rules.
Voters will also hear competing arguments from supporters, including environmental, labor and community groups, and from business organizations opposing the measure. The result will show whether Eugene joins Portland in using a fee on large corporations to finance local climate work.
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Key Questions
What are Eugene voters being asked to approve?
A ballot measure that would charge qualifying large companies a fee and direct the revenue to clean energy, job training and green infrastructure programs.
Which companies would be subject to the proposed fee?
Companies would need at least $1 billion in national gross profits and at least $500,000 in gross profits within Eugene. The proposal names Amazon, Chase, Home Depot, Walmart and Wells Fargo as examples, but the source does not list every company that would qualify.
How much could the fee raise?
Supporters estimate $15 million to $37 million per year. That is a projection; Eugene has not collected revenue under the proposed fee.
Would the fee raise consumer prices?
Opponents say it could increase costs, while supporters dispute that claim. The source material does not provide an independent estimate of whether, or by how much, prices might change.
How is Eugene’s proposal different from Portland’s?
Portland’s existing fund charges a 1% fee on local sales revenue from the largest corporations. Eugene’s proposal would charge 2% on qualifying companies’ gross profits earned within the city.
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