Press release on County solar power
Today the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners will consider an agreement to install the largest solar power project in Oregon on three county buildings. The project will produce approximately 1,000,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year, marking an important milestone for the Oregon solar energy industry.
Under the agreement, solar energy services provider SunEdison LLC of Maryland will build, own and operate the solar photovoltaic system, selling the power output to Multnomah County under a 20-year power purchase agreement. The county will pay SunEdison for all the power generated by the system at a rate just below what is currently paid to Portland General Electric (PGE). This rate will climb at a fixed annual escalator in line with historical utility price inflation of 2.83 percent.
Solar installations at three county facilities are expected to begin operating by the end of 2008. Buildings that are planned to receive solar installations include the Juvenile Justice Complex at 1401 NE 68th Ave., the John B. Yeon building complex at 1620 SE 190th Ave. and the Multnomah Building at 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd, all of which are within PGE service territory. The remainder of the county’s 100+ rooftops, parking structures and other facilities afford great potential for future expansion of the system.
Commissioner Jeff Cogen, who led the effort to pursue this project, said, “We’ve put a lot of work into planning this effort, evaluating prospective partners and negotiating terms that will benefit county taxpayers, while serving as a catalyst for clean energy in Oregon. I’m also extremely pleased with the service we’re getting from our project partner, SunEdison and from our utility, Portland General Electric, which has provided valuable assistance and information during the last year. And this project would not have been possible without the outstanding help we have received from Energy Trust of Oregon.”
While still in its infancy, the solar market in Oregon is growing rapidly. With this project, Multnomah County seeks to highlight Oregon’s solar energy potential and support local economic development in renewable energy. Despite its reputation as a rainy, cloudy place and therefore not conducive to solar energy projects, Oregon gets as much sun as the national average—and more than Germany, which leads the world in its use of solar energy.
In addition, the project will help hedge against rising energy costs and eliminate up to 19,000 tons of CO2 emissions over the 20-year project timeline—all at no added cost to county taxpayers, thanks to Federal Solar Investment tax credits and State of Oregon Business Energy Tax Credits (BETC.)
”Multnomah County has redefined the boundaries for finding sustainable energy at the most competitive prices. The County’s efforts are key to growing the solar industry in Oregon and provide a terrific model that other governments and businesses can easily follow,” said Peter West, Energy Trust’s director of renewable energy. “This is great news for the state and for the solar industry.”
Multnomah County currently pays for electricity at over 100 buildings and facilities it runs including libraries, health clinics, office buildings, jails, community centers, maintenance shops, roads, and bridges.
Posted on June 26, 2008
Comments
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Posted by: Patricia Dyson - August 27, 2008 01:41 PM
I was trying to find the email address of Multnomah Press, to get permission to quote Charles R. Swindoll's wonderful book, 'Seasons of Life.' It would seem that Multnomah Press has fallen into disrepute; I couldn't find their email address, but I did find some articles about them.
I have a Christian website and want to do a series of essays for my blog page, woven around some content in his teachings. It is non-profit, but I do respect copyrite laws. There has been a great disruption between believers and one perticular nonbeliever, who has opened a Pandora's box with his games. It looks as if he has been evicted, but now we have to get the genie back in the bottle. There is a lot of resentment among many of the young people who use the forums. I intend to minister to the brothers and sisters-in-Christ, as the key to putting the genie back in the bottle was revieled to me while reading the fall-out of this battle.
My problem, which I hope you can help me with is: does Multnamah Press have an email address, or do you know who I can contact to get permission to make quotes from Charlse's book? Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Patricia Dyson.