City of Bend receives $150K Pacific Power grant to offer e-bike ‘instant rebates’ for low-income buyers

Up to $2,000 each for 75 qualified households; lottery will be used

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Bend city councilors gave the nod Wednesday evening to the city accepting a $150,000 mobility grant from Pacific Power to fund a rebate program to help low-income households purchase electric bicycles.

The electric bike (e-bike) instant rebate program will provide a rebate of $2,000 each to 75 qualified transportation-disadvantaged, low-income households in Bend to be used toward the purchase of an e-bike. To quality, applicants must be considered low-income and live within Pacific Power territory in Bend.

“Bend is an excellent city for e-mobility year-round,” said Mayor Pro Tem Anthony Broadman. “In places where rebates have been offered, riders have replaced more than three car trips a week with e-bikes. I am grateful to our partners at Pacific Power who see the value of new, sustainable, climate-friendly options for getting around our city.”

Pacific Power is providing grant funding to help businesses, cities and nonprofits take advantage of the cost-saving, clean benefits of electric mobility. The city of Bend joins several other organizations across Pacific Power’s service area that have received grants for clean electric mobility projects through a competitive-evaluation process.

Funding for this grant is made possible by the Oregon Clean Fuels Program, administered by the state Department of Environmental Quality. For more information visit www.PacificPower.net/EV.

The city will work with Commute Options to disperse the grant funds through a sub-recipient agreement. Commute Options’ mission is to increase access to transportation options across Oregon.

Commute Options will partner with local e-bike retailers, and the rebate will be paid directly to the retailers, removing as many financial barriers as possible for participants. Participants will be able to visit a participating retailer and automatically deduct the $2,000 from the purchase at the point of sale.

The rebates will be awarded via a lottery process, and the first lottery will take place in the Spring.

 “I’ve had the good fortune of getting to and from City Hall for every council meeting over the last two years on an e-bike so I have seen what is possible,” Broadman said. “The key now is to make sure that as many people in our community, especially those with fewer resources, have access to sustainable modes of transportation. Climate action must be equitable.”