A new pilot program encouraging Oregon customers of privately owned electric utilities to install solar panels to generate power got underway on a limited basis July 1. Pacific Power has established rules and procedures to ensure that the pilot program is administered fairly and that the interests of all customers are protected.

“The potential for solar energy in Oregon is strong,” said Pat Egan, vice president of customer and community affairs. “This four-year pilot program will examine how best to encourage customers to install small-scale solar facilities. Solar development is happening every day on rooftops throughout the state and this program should accelerate that.”

Overall, the program aims to bring 25 megawatts of solar power online in the next four years. This capacity is divided proportionally among three utilities--Pacific Power, Portland General Electric and Idaho Power--based on their relative customer bases. The capacity is further divided by year and by size of installation.

The intention is to spread the incentive over time, allowing more customers to learn about it and take advantage of the program. The result is that a relatively small amount of capacity is available at any given time through any given utility. Once the given capacity is reached, customers whose applications have not yet been processed will be notified online that no further application may be accepted at that time and that a new application would need to be made at a later time.

“We have confidence in the web site’s ability to handle the traffic,” said Egan. “But it will be a very busy site on the morning of July 1. We don’t know exactly how quickly the program will be fully subscribed, but we are expecting substantial interest.”

Return to July 2010 Western Energy News

Western Energy News

To sponsor Western Energy News, please contact WEI at 503 231-1994.

Western Energy Institute - http://www.westernenergy.org/
827 NE Oregon Street, Portland, Oregon 97232-2172
Phone: (503) 231-1994 Fax: (503) 231-2595

July 2010 News Team
Publisher: Chuck Meyer
Editor: John Rozsa