Descripción

Energy Trust of Oregon’s Wind program provides resources and cash incentives to help communities, businesses and government entities install wind turbine systems of up to 20 megawatts (MW) in capacity. Projects may consist of a single turbine or a small group of turbines. Ownership models vary. In some cases, a group of local investors may own the project. In other cases, the owner may be the landowner or a government entity such as a city or a school district.

Energy Trust provides technical assistance and financial incentives but does not develop, sell or install energy systems or equipment. Work is done by independent businesses that are solely responsible for the quality and performance of their installations.

To be eligible for Energy Trust incentives:

• The owner must be an Oregon customer of Portland General Electric or Pacific Power, or be willing to deliver power to one of these utilities.
• Systems must generate electricity and be connected to the local electric utility grid.

Energy Trust offers the following incentives:

Anemometer loans – Energy Trust funds an Anemometer Loan Program to assess wind quality at proposed sites. Anemometers are measuring devices that provide valuable data on wind quality and speed to evaluate a site’s suitability. The program is administered by Oregon State University’s Energy Resource Research Laboratory. The anemometers in use by the program are available free of charge to landowners whose sites meet initial screening characteristics.

Cash incentives for turbine installations – Incentive levels are based on a project’s costs in comparison to the market value of the energy produced (above-market costs). There is no cap or fixed percentage of the amount of above-market costs Energy Trust will pay. Each project is unique and incentives are based on many factors. In most cases, Energy Trust will disburse its awards over time, contingent on the project’s actual delivery of electric power to the grid. In return for our funding contribution, Energy Trust will ask for a negotiated share of the project’s green tags, which are held in trust for the ratepayers who contribute to Energy Trust.