Digging into House Bill 4037, which Gov. Kate Brown signed Wednesday in Pendleton. Staff photo by E.J. HarrisGov. Kate Brown signs House Bill 4037 on Wednesday at the Pendleton Early Learning Center. House Bill 4037 creates new incentives for investments in solar power. Industrial-scale solar farms are getting a big financial push in Oregon after Gov. Kate Brown signed House Bill 4037 Wednesday in Pendleton. The bill directs the Oregon Business Development Department to establish incentives for projects between 2 and 10 megawatts. It takes roughly 8.3 acres of solar panels to generate a megawatt of electricity, according to a 2013 report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. “These are not the systems you see on businesses and houses,” said Jeff Bissonnette, executive director of the Oregon Solar Energy Industries Association. “If something is 2 to 10 megawatts, these are fairly large facilities.” Qualifying projects will receive half a cent per kilowatt hour of electricity they produce for five years. Applications will be accepted until the program reaches a maximum of 150 megawatts, or by Jan. 2, 2017 — whichever comes first. Projects must have a deal with a commercial utility or electric cooperative to distribute the power. Bissonnette figures about 16-18 projects could potentially benefit under HB 4037. “It really is targeted at projects that are shovel-ready,” Bissonnette said. “They might need just one more boost to get them over the finish line.” State lawmakers allocated $951,561 toward the Solar Incentivization Fund during the 2017-19 biennium, which includes the cost to hire a new program manager with Business Oregon. HB 4037 passed the House by a vote of 51-4 and 22-6 in the Senate. Rep. Greg Barreto, R-Cove, and Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, both voted in favor of the bill. Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner, was excused from voting. Maximum payments over five years are estimated at $8.22 million. The fund sunsets after Jan. 2, 2023. Bissonnette said the bill is a major win for the Oregon solar industry, especially after the legislature passed a much larger, much more controversial bill requiring Portland General Electric and Pacific Power to double its renewable energy mandate by 2040. In order for a solar array to qualify under HB 4037, it must be located within Oregon. Assuming the program reaches its full potential, Bissonnette said the state could almost double its current solar capacity of 85 megawatts. “That’s a big step,” he said. “Those types of (industrial) projects will work hand in hand with smaller resources located on homes and businesses across the state.” Currently, just .07 percent of Oregon’s electricity comes from solar. But there are some larger industrial developments on the horizon for Eastern Oregon, including a 6-megawatt project near the Eastern Oregon Regional Airport in Pendleton. The Umatilla Electric Cooperative has also purchased 80 acres from the Port of Umatilla to invest in future solar projects. Since HB 4037 is a cash payment rather than a tax credit, the co-op would be able to participate, said spokesman Steve Meyers. “As UEC’s load grows and we continue to add new renewable resources, we’ll be looking for programs that will benefit our members,” Meyers said. Bissonnette foresees more potential for solar in the region, given the area’s ample summertime sun and swaths of undeveloped land. “Solar has a big part to play in Oregon’s energy future,” he said. ——— Contact George Plaven at gplaven@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0825. Stay on topic - This helps keep the thread focused on the discussion at hand. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article. Share with Us - We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article, and smart, constructive criticism. Be Civil - It's OK to have a difference in opinion but there's no need to be a jerk. We reserve the right to delete any comments that we feel are spammy, off-topic, or reckless to the community. Be proactive - Use the 'Flag as Inappropriate' link at the upper right corner of each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Under a joint resolution , solar photovoltaic ( PV ) parks in the state of Oregon with capacities of between 2 MW and 10 MW can compete for monthly incentive payments of $ 5 ( € 4.45 ) per MWh for five years . Only projects that commence power generation after 1 January 2016 are eligible for the incentive . Money for the incentive comes from the newly - established Solar Incentivisation Fund . The incentive stops once a park reaches 150 MW of participating capacity or on 2 January 2017 , whichever occurs first . According to data by the Solar Energy Industries Association , Oregon installed 30 MW of solar capacity in 2015 , ranking it 19th nationally .