ODOE Grant Program Supports Renewable Energy Projects from Tillamook to Ontario
CONTACT:
Rachel Wray, 503-689-0294
Jennifer Kalez, 503-480-9239
SALEM — The Oregon Department of Energy today announced 13 recipients of more than $2 million in Renewable Energy Development grant funds. This year’s projects reflect the diversity of Oregon’s renewable energy technologies, with selected projects slated to produce electricity from biogas, solar photovoltaic, biomass, and hydropower.
For this grants cycle, separate funding streams were available based on project size, with approximately $1.5 million available for projects generating more than 300 kilowatts, and $500,000 available for projects generating less than 300 kW. Michael Williams, manager of ODOE’s energy incentive program, said, “Smaller renewable systems can be worthwhile projects, so this year, we set aside funding specifically for a competitive pool of smaller projects.”
Four of the approved projects will produce electricity from biogas, including Deschutes Brewery in Bend and The Dalles Wastewater Treatment Plant. For Deschutes Brewery, that will mean using an anaerobic digester to convert wastewater into methane that can then be used on-site for electricity and thermal energy. The Dalles Wastewater Treatment Plant will add to its existing anaerobic system a 65-kilowatt microturbine. A hydroelectric project in Sisters was also approved. The Three Sisters Irrigation District project is part of a larger effort to conserve water and electricity and produce electricity by replacing open canals with pipelines and running pressurized water through a turbine. Four solar projects in Baker, Wallowa, and Malheur counties will add more than nine megawatts of solar power capacity in eastern Oregon. A full list of selected projects is below.
Now in its fifth year, the RED grant program supports Oregon businesses, nonprofits, and organizations investing in renewable energy systems that use biomass, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, wind, landfill gas, biogas, wave, tidal, or ocean energy to produce electricity. ODOE received 35 applications for this round of grant funding.
After a competitive review process, these 13 projects will move forward to a technical review phase, which includes finalizing performance agreements. Funds are distributed after the projects are completed and operational, and once all conditions of the performance agreements are met.
“Oregonians continue to value renewable energy,” ODOE Director Michael Kaplan said. “We’re proud we can support these diverse projects and the communities where they are located.”
For more information about ODOE’s Renewable Energy Development grant program, please visit http://www.oregon.gov/energy/At-Work/Pages/Renewable-Energy-Grants.aspx.
Projects 300 kWAC or Larger
Kraft-Heinz Company | Biogas | Ontario | $175,000
Deschutes Brewery Inc | Biogas | Bend | $175,000
Obsidian Renewables LLC | Photovoltaic | Silver Lake | $175,000
Farm Power Wilson River LLC | Biogas | Tillamook | $38,772
Enerparc Inc | Photovoltaic | Unity | $175,000
Enerparc Inc | Photovoltaic | Vale | $175,000
Enerparc Inc | Photovoltaic | Ontario | $175,000
Willow Renewable Energy LLC | Biomass | Heppner | $175,000
The Klamath Tribes | Photovoltaic | Chiloquin | $175,000
Projects Under 300 kWAC
Three Sisters Irrigation District | Hydroelectric | Sisters | $175,000
The Dalles Wastewater Treatment Plant | Biogas | The Dalles | $175,000
Tri-City Joint Water & Sanitary Authority | Photovoltaic | Myrtle Creek | $140,650
Hillock's Stor-All LLC | Photovoltaic | Enterprise | $32,156
