(SALEM, OR) — Oregon State Senator Janeen Sollman (District 15), Chair of the Senate Energy and Environment Committee, has introduced SB 92, a bill that would expand and improve the state’s existing community solar program by increasing capacity, the flexibility of project locations and customer subscriptions, and incentivizing battery storage for community resilience.
“I am proud to support the expansion of Oregon’s community solar program,” said Senator Sollman. “Community solar supports hard-working Oregon families, saves money for residents that need it most, and helps us remain competitive in the new clean energy economy.”
Oregon’s existing Community Solar Program (CSP) will soon be oversubscribed, leaving many projects that have been in the works for years at a standstill. SB 92 would address problems with the existing program, and create a pathway for low-income community solar projects in the pipeline to move forward and for new projects to develop.
“Oregon lawmakers are in a position to help grow the state economy, help constituents save money on record-high energy bills, support domestic energy production, and create a more resilient electric grid,” said Derek Chernow, Western Regional Director of the Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA). “We urge lawmakers to support and pass SB 92.”
Key provisions in this legislation would:
- Expand the CSP by a small percentage each year
- Decrease delays by enforcing interconnection deadlines
- Allow larger projects to utilize economies of scale
- Reduce administrative costs
“Tens of millions of dollars in savings for Oregonian households are at stake,” said Angela Crowley-Koch, Executive Director of the Oregon Solar and Storage Industries Association (OSSIA). “Low-income families stand to see up to 25% energy savings on their electric bill with an expanded community solar program. We urge the Oregon legislature to embrace this form of local, clean energy that helps the grid and constituents alike.”
Across the nation, 19 states and the District of Columbia have already adopted policies enabling third-party community solar programs. Community solar allows anyone with an electric bill to benefit from affordable, locally generated solar power. Residents, businesses, and other subscribers can tap into the energy generated from a nearby community solar installation and receive credits on their utility bills.
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About CCSA: The Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA) is a national trade association representing over 125 community solar developers, businesses, and nonprofits. Together, we are building the electric grid of the future where every customer has the freedom to support the generation of clean, local solar energy to power their lives. Through legislative and regulatory advocacy, and the support of a diverse coalition — including advocates for competition, clean energy, ratepayers, landowners, farmers, and environmental justice — we enable policies that unlock the potential of distributed energy resources, starting with community solar. For more information, visit https://www.communitysolaraccess.org and follow the group on X, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
About OSSIA: The Oregon Solar + Storage Industries Association (OSSIA) is a trade association founded in 1981 to promote clean, renewable, solar and storage technologies. OSSIA members include businesses, non-profit groups, and other solar and storage industry stakeholders.
We provide a unified and respected voice of the solar and storage industries and focus exclusively on the solar and storage value chains; from workforce development to permitting, advocacy, policy, and regulation for residential, commercial, community, and utility-scale solar and storage projects on the local, state and regional level.