Community Solar Project Ceremony Thursday, November 12
PrintA ceremonial mounting of the first of 704 photovoltaic panels to be installed at Oregon’s first community solar project is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12, at 1:30 p.m. at 61090 SE 27th St., Bend. The project is owned and operated by Central Electric Cooperative (CEC). Sunlight Solar Energy of Bend is the development contractor.
Attending and conducting the “panel hanging” ceremony will be members of the CEC staff and board of directors, and Sunlight Solar officials. Invitations have been extended to local government officials, representatives of local environmental organizations, and CEC members who have expressed an interest in joining the CEC Solar Community.
“As Central Electric approaches its 75th year of operation, we have been blessed to have carbon-emission free hydroelectric power as the foundation of our energy supply,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Dave Markham. “Our community solar project marks an important forward step into today’s and tomorrow’s renewable energy world.”
The community solar project offers CEC members an opportunity to voluntarily share in the costs and benefits of the 200,000-watt installation on approximately 1.7 acres of land immediately adjacent to the cooperative’s Bend Service Center. Members can participate through two programs: the established Green Power program enables them to pay a premium on some or all of their kilowatt-hour usage each month, and under the new Shared Solar program members can subscribe to the energy produced by one or more of the project’s panels, with half- and quarter-panel subscription options available.
Shared Solar program participants will receive a credit on their electric bill each month for the portion of the solar energy produced that is equivalent to the size of their subscription. All proceeds are dedicated to the project’s construction, operation and maintenance.
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