February 2026 Newsletter

The Oregon Department of Energy has selected 24 recipients to receive nearly $12 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 76 applications requesting over $46 million to support projects for this fourth 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 considerations, cost savings, economic development, and other features to select the 24 awarded projects.

The Salem Housing Authority has been awarded about $295,000 to construct a net-metered solar system that will offset energy costs for 114 apartments for seniors at two low-income housing locations. Pinehurst School District's $219,500 award will support installation of a 19-kW solar photovoltaic array, along with 71.5 kWh of energy storage to mitigate routine power interruptions at Pinehurst Elementary School. The school serves as an emergency resilience hub for a remote community in the mountains east of Ashland. The Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians has been awarded a $100,000 planning grant for a Tribal-wide renewable solar plus storage resilience project at the Three Rivers Health Center. A $63,811 grant award to Oakridge School District will support planning for solar and energy storage, including a potential solar and biomass combined heat and power system at three area schools and a Parent Resource Center.

ODOE was also pleased to see program participants that received previous planning grants return to request construction funds to put those plans into action. The Curry Public Library District was awarded a planning grant in 2024, and will now receive nearly $1 million to install three ground-mounted solar canopies paired with energy storage. In addition to producing energy savings, the library will serve as a community emergency center during potential outages or other emergencies. The City of Cascade Locks also received a planning grant in 2024, and is now awarded nearly $778,000 to install rooftop solar and paired battery storage that will support Cascade Locks Fire Station operations during outages and emergencies. In total, ODOE's program is supporting eight planning and 16 construction projects - see a complete list of awardees on ODOE's blog.

The Community Renewable Energy Grant Program was created by the Oregon Legislature in 2021 to support projects outside Portland city limits. ODOE also announced grant awardees in 2022, 2023, and 2024.