Portland Energy's Smallest Chiller Up, Running

PORTLAND-Despite ongoing funding concerns, Portland Energy Solutions says it is ready to cool its first client, Whole Foods Market, when it opens for business sometime in the next few weeks.

PES, an Enron subsidiary, is in the air conditioning business. Atop Block 2 of the five-block redevelopment of the former Blitz-Weinhard Brewery here, it is 90% finished installing the first phase of a massive chilled water air conditioning plant. In addition to cooling tenants in the 1.7-million-sf Brewery Blocks redevelopment, the company hopes to convince other building owners in the area to forego replacing their aging air conditioning units, which can run as much as $1 million, and instead hook into their plant.

At build out, the $15 million plant will be capable of cooling six million sf of commercial space. First, however, they need to get past the $6.4-million first phase, and that’s where things have gotten sketchy, as they are $2 million short and not sure where the money going to come from.