Oregon Department of Energy Grant Program Supports Renewable and Resilient Energy Development in Communities Across the State
A new community solar project in Ontario, OR was the first fully constructed project supported by the Oregon Department of Energy’s Community Renewable Energy Grant Program. Learn more about the project.
Media Contact: Jennifer Kalez
Program Contact: community.grants@energy.oregon.gov
SALEM — The Oregon Department of Energy has selected 34 recipients to receive nearly $18 million in Community Renewable Energy Grant Program funds. The program supports planning and construction of renewable energy or energy resilience projects for Tribes, public bodies, and consumer-owned utilities.
ODOE received 75 applications requesting over $47 million to support projects for this third round of grant funding. Awards were chosen on a competitive basis with the help of a grant application evaluation committee, which included community-based organizations, renewable energy advocates, industry leaders, and technical experts from across the state. Committee members considered project feasibility and strength, equity, cost savings, economic development, and other features to select the 34 awarded projects.
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde will receive a pair of grants totaling about $1.9 million each to install 148-kilowatt rooftop solar and paired energy storage at the Tribe’s Child Development Center and the Tribe’s Resident Resilience Center. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs will receive $1 million to install 108 kilowatts of solar and 240 kilowatts of energy storage to position Indian Head as the first tribal casino in Oregon to achieve net-zero energy. The City of Madras will receive $1 million to construct a 1.14-megawatt floating solar project at its wastewater treatment facility. The project will generate over 1.8 million kilowatt-hours of energy while reducing algae buildup in water used by local farmers for irrigation. Over at the coast, the City of Depoe Bay will receive $95,000 to support planning efforts for a 130-kilowatt solar installation at City Hall, which serves as an emergency operations and communications center, stores emergency food and supplies, and can be used as a shelter during a disaster or severe weather event. The city plans to pair the solar with 100 kilowatts of battery storage and 180 kilograms of hydrogen fuel cell storage. Lake Health District in Lakeview will use $25,000 in planning funds to improve or expand geothermal heating sources at the Lake District Hospital, and support improvements to the geothermal heating system serving Lakeview schools.
For this third round of Community Renewable Energy Grants, ODOE was pleased to see returning program participants that received previous planning grants request construction funds to put those plans into action. Hood River County received a grant in 2023 to plan for a solar and paired storage project to run emergency operations or a community shelter at the Mount Hood Town Hall. The County will now receive $972,933 to construct the project. The City of Oakridge also received a planning grant in 2023, and will now receive $332,500 to install a solar and paired storage project to support critical community facilities at the Willamette Activity Center. In total, ODOE’s program is supporting 17 planning and 17 construction projects in this third round of funding – see a complete list of awardees below.
“The Oregon Department of Energy is proud to offer this grant program, which supports projects that generate renewable energy and strengthen resilience in Oregon communities,” said ODOE Director Janine Benner. “We were pleased to see previous planning grant awardees return to request construction funding to make their projects a reality. That’s one thing that makes this program so valuable and unique – it can support important community projects from start to finish.”
ODOE will finalize performance agreements with the awardees, which outline their responsibilities for receiving the funds. After finalizing the agreements, the agency can release up to 30 percent of the grant, with the remaining funds released upon project completion and verification.
The Community Renewable Energy Grant Program was created by the Oregon Legislature in 2021 to support projects outside Portland city limits. ODOE awarded a first round of $12 million in grants in 2022, a second round in 2023, and expects to make at least one more round of funding available in 2025.
All Awarded Projects
City of Eugene | Construction Resilience | $1,000,000
Installation of a 120 kW solar PV system that will generate 175,700 kWh annually, as well as a 440 kW energy storage system that replaces diesel generator backup power at a public works facility that serves as a critical hub for Public Works first responder staff during seasonal emergencies.
City of Madras | Construction Renewable | $1,000,000
Installation of 1.14 MW net-metered floating solar project that will generate 1,837,226 kWh net energy and optimize an unusable body of water at the city’s wastewater treatment facility, while reducing algae buildup in downline irrigation use by area farmers.
City of Oakridge | Construction Resilience | $332,500
Installation of a roof-mounted 125 kW solar PV system, estimated to produce 150,480 kW annually, and a 115 kWh battery energy storage system to support critical community facilities and enhance emergency preparedness at Willamette Activity Center.
City of Pendleton | Construction Resilience | $1,000,000
Installation of a 500 kW, 1,100 kWh battery energy storage system and microgrid to ensure uninterrupted operation of essential wastewater treatment facility infrastructure during outages. The project also supports local peak power resilience via Pacific Power’s Demand Response program.
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde (CDC) | Construction Resilience | $ 936,750
Installation of a 148 kW roof-mounted solar PV system that will generate 309,750 kWh annually, and a 660 kW energy storage system supporting the tribal community’s Child Development Center.
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde (RRC) | Construction Resilience | $ 1,000,000
Installation of a 148 kW roof-mounted solar PV system that will generate 309,750 annually, and a 660kW energy storage system for the Tribe’s Resident Resilience Center that serves as a safe space for nearly 2,500 community members to shelter and support during climate events
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs | Construction Resilience | $ 1,000,000
Installation of a 108 kW solar PV system generating 272,195 kWh annually, with a 240kW energy storage system for Phase 1 to position Indian Head as the first tribal casino in the state to achieve net-zero energy status while simultaneously providing essential community resilience services.
Hood River County | Construction Resilience | $972,933
Installation of 55 kW solar canopies that will generate 70,320 kWh annually, and 60 kW/307 kWh of battery storage to run emergency operations or a community shelter at the Mount Hood Town Hall serving the Upper Hood River Valley community.
Hood River County School District | Construction Resilience | $1,000,000
Purchase of a portion of the solar PV array (282 kW), battery storage (250 kW/330 kWh), and microgrid controllers to serve as a distribution point and/or community shelter where residents can access essential resources. The project also supports the district’s innovative federally funded MOVER project, using electric school bus and light-duty electric fleet vehicles as mobile energy storage with solar PV and microgrid technology.
Oregon State University-Cascades | Construction Renewable | $1,000,000
Expansion of a geo-exchange nodal hub and infrastructure to provide resilient heating and cooling for campus, calculated at 985 kW. The project also serves as a living laboratory on campus for students and others to evaluate the renewable energy solutions onsite.
Oregon State University | Construction Resilience | $999,000
Installation of 249 kW roof-mounted, net-metered photovoltaic array on two OSU Corvallis campus buildings, plus a 1.44 MWh, 240 kW grid interactive battery storage system that provides crucial infrastructure and maintains power to OSU’s Link Oregon node to provide data services to local first responders and the broader community during extended outages from climate or seismic events.
Phoenix Talent School District | Construction Resilience | $1,000,000
Installation of 108 kW solar PV, generating 168,600 kWh annually with a 440kW battery at Talent Elementary School. The school is a focal point for community activities, gatherings, and support networks, while also serving as a primary evacuation center, community shelter, and food and medical assistance location.
Roseburg Urban Sanitary Authority | Construction Renewable | $1,000,000
Installation of 800 kW solar PV generating 1.2 MWh annually to offset 44 percent of the wastewater treatment plant's energy usage, and provides energy resilience during grid outages — ensuring operation and reliability of crucial public welfare services.
Roseburg Urban Sanitary Authority | Construction Resilience | $ 870,870
Installation of 50 kW solar PV array generating 51,580 kWh annually, with a 186 kW battery storage system at the utility’s main office. The office serves as a critical hub for managing and overseeing essential sanitation and waste management operations within the community.
Roseburg Urban Sanitary Authority | Construction Renewable | $1,000,000
Installation of 400 kW floating solar PV system that generates 536,074 kWh annually at the Natural Treatment System’s storage pond. The project will maximize energy generation and land efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and curb evaporation and algae growth to enhance the ecological health of the pond and lower effluent temperatures to the river.
Southern Oregon University | Construction Resilience | $1,000,000
Installation of net metered 159 kW parking lot canopy solar PV system, generating 237,897 kWh annually with a 184 kWh battery to maintain internet communications and provide community support services at the Lithia Center during emergency events.
Wasco Co Soil & Water Conservation District | Construction Resilience | $998,778
Deployment of FEMA-approved, semi-mobile BEAM EV ARC 2020 solar-plus-storage-plus-EV charging units at four rural, critical public-use locations in Wasco County. Funds will also support two Voltstack 30 k Level 3 Mobile e-Charger Portable Power systems at Dufur School’s gym and School-Based Health Center, which serves as the area’s emergency event command center and community shelter — with a larger goal of showing a potential replicable and scalable approach for other rural and remote Oregon communities.
City of Cascade Locks | Planning Resilience | $68,000
Planning for a photovoltaic system with solar (70.6 kW) plus storage (160 kWh) microgrid at the Cascade Locks Fire Station, providing resilient emergency communications and allowing first responders to provide uninterrupted essential medical and fire services.
City of Coos Bay | Planning Resilience | $100,000
Planning project to include net-metered solar power and battery storage for the North Coos 911 Dispatch Center to support resilient emergency communications for first responders across the region.
City Of Depoe Bay | Planning Resilience | $95,000
Planning a 130 kW solar PV system with 100 kW battery storage and 180 kg hydrogen fuel cell storage backup at the City Hall, which serves as the Emergency Operations and Communications Center, stores emergency food and supplies, and can be used as a shelter during a disaster or severe weather event.
City of Eugene (Airport) | Planning Renewable | $100,000
Planning project to add EV chargers to support Level 2 charging at 16 parking spaces powered by a ground-mounted, grid-tied solar PV array to support regional travelers and the community.
City of Gresham | Planning Resilience | $60,000 Planning a net-metered solar PV and battery system at the Rockwood Village Apartments to increase climate and energy resilience for a diverse community that experiences climate vulnerability, high energy cost burdens, and barriers to economic opportunity, while also serving as backup power for Feed’em Freedom Foundation’s onsite food pantry.
City of Myrtle Creek | Planning Renewable | $52,500
Planning for renewable energy systems at City Hall and the Police station (solar-plus-storage), and a solar PV canopy and/or a micro-hydro generation system for the water treatment facility to enhance resilience and offset power costs for critical public facilities.
City of Salem | Planning Renewable | $100,000
Planning to develop in-line micro-hydroelectric turbines to generate energy as a part of decreasing water pressure in the system at Turner pump station (150 kW) and Franzen reservoir (110 kW) with estimated 13x more energy production than current annual site(s) consumption.
City of Tigard | Planning Resilience | $100,000
Planning for a large solar-plus-storage system to support a planned and existing affordable housing development, public works, police and emergency operations center, and a planned community center.
Curry Public Library District | Planning Resilience | $98,375
Planning for a net metered 75 kW solar canopy with 50 kW battery storage to offset energy costs and provide community access and shelter services, including community kitchen operations during a prolonged outage or catastrophic event.
Eugene Airport (EUG) | Planning Resilience | $100,000
Planning project to pair solar PV power plant and battery storage with microgrid controls and digital energy management system to provide clean backup power to critical facilities and loads at the Eugene Airport.
Lake Health District | Planning Renewable | $25,000
Planning project to improve and/or expand geothermal heating sources for Lake District Hospital, a critical medical services and community shelter facility during emergencies, and support improvements to the district’s geothermal heating system serving Lakeview schools and a Head Start facility.
Linn-Benton Community College | Planning Resilience | $75,000
Planning 125.6 kW solar PV system with a 660 kW battery microgrid system to support a campus alternate emergency operations center, as well as support emergency care for animal sheltering at the Agricultural Center during a grid outage or emergency event.
Medford Irrigation District | Planning Renewable | $50,000
Planning a 240 kW net-metered hydro turbine system by adding pipeline pressure via the region’s Joint System Canal (JSC) from water diverted for agricultural use, which will improve the resiliency and durability of the conveyance system, reduce operation and maintenance costs, and conserve water instream for threatened coho salmon and other fish habitat.
Oregon State University – Cascades | Planning Renewable | $100,000
Planning geo-exchange system expansion through a local aquifer, providing primary campus thermal energy with anticipated 2,205 kW and 2,980,000 kWh annually, and serving as a regional living lab for renewable energy learning.
Silver Falls Library District | Planning Resilience | $47,660
Planning a 72 kW solar PV, battery storage, and microgrid system to support resilient library operations, offset costs, and provide a community shelter during brief power outages. The project will support communications such as internet access, phone and medical device charging, and refrigeration of critical medical supplies.
Twin Rivers Charter School | Planning Resilience | $100,000
Planning a net-metered solar-plus-storage and EV charging project to improve both the school’s and surrounding neighborhood’s energy resilience and provide an emergency relief shelter for the Laurel Hill Valley community during prolonged grid outages or climate emergency events.
Umatilla School District | Planning Resilience | $100,000
Planning net-metered solar-plus-storage and EV charging systems at two new district sites to improve the energy resilience of essential facilities, including uninterrupted power supply to the kitchen and food storage, ability to provide emergency community shelter during natural hazard events, and educational benefits for students and the broader community.