County solar farms are growing

Another solar farm is scheduled to go online this summer. After three years, the Green Solar project in Culver is connecting with Pacific Power.

This installation is joining the Oregon Community Solar Program, which enables people to enjoy the benefits of solar energy without installing solar panels on their own property. Allowing for infrastructure and access, Green Solar will produce enough energy to power an estimated 100 – 150 homes, based on average output per acre from the US Department of Energy.

This 17-acre property was first leased for a solar farm in 2021 by property owner Ralph Lewis. Having no water rights, it consisted of bunch grass, sagebrush, and juniper, much like the Elbe Drive and Adams Drive Solar Centers which have been producing power since 2019. At that time, each 80-acre location was estimated to produce enough electricity to power1,900 homes.

Next up, the Elk Drive Solar project east of Lake Simtustus is due to begin construction in June. The largest project planned for Jefferson County so far, this 270-acre parcel is estimated to produce 63 megawatts, capable of powering 12,000 homes.

Collectively, the four projects will provide enough energy to power 16,000 homes. Compare this to the estimated population of Jefferson County at 26,000 as of July 2024. These projects will all be connected to the electrical grid, rather than devoted to a specific site.

Regarding taxes, the Adams and Elbe Solar projects both took advantage of a 5-Year Rural Renewable Energy Development Zone program, exempting the energy facilities from property taxes from 2019 – 2023.That tax exemption is now over, so the Adams and Elbe solar projects will begin paying property taxes on the energy facilities for the 2024-2025 tax year.

The county will begin receiving property taxes of around $230,000 combined for these two projects. Prior to the solar farm construction, the Adams and Elbe properties were assessed only $1,226 in annual property taxes. County services are also less for a solar farm than a housing development – no need for services such as schools or libraries.

The benefactors of the solar farm are threefold: Property owners receive lease income, rate payers receive clean energy, and the county receives increased tax revenues on otherwise unfarmable land.

The possibilities of more solar farms in Jefferson County are good, given the availability of dryland pasture.

If interested in signing up for the Oregon Community Solar program, you can call (503) 305-9398 or log onto www.neighborhoodpower.com.