The Oregon Solar Energy Industries Association and The Green Energy Institute released The Oregon Solar Plan, which outlines strategies to increase solar power in Oregon to enable the state to generate 10% of its electricity from solar energy in ten years. The report says solar currently generates less than 1% of the state’s electricity.
To reach 10%, Oregon would have to install 4 GW of solar capacity, which is enough to power more than 500,000 homes.
According to OSEIA, The Oregon Solar Plan will:
- Ensure rooftop payback does not exceed 10 years
- Grow the solar workforce
- Reduce soft costs
- Reduce barriers to entry
- Develop long-term state policy
In the plan’s conclusion, the authors describe a solar utopia:
“Imagine an Oregon where local contractors are busy installing solar panels on thousands of rooftops; solar arrays and other renewable resources replace polluting fossil fuel plants; electrical vehicles fuel up at roadside solar-powered charging stations; electricity costs fall in low-income communities that share power from community solar projects; Oregonians find easy entry into a strong solar workforce; and local manufacturing plants produce the highest-quality solar panels in the world.”