In some parts of Oregon, geothermally heated groundwater can be harnessed to produce renewable electricity. Energy Trust can help you explore the potential of low-temperature geothermal resources to generate electricity at your site.
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Establish your eligibility.
To be eligible for an Energy Trust incentive, a geothermal project must:
- Be less than 20 megawatts in nameplate capacity (maximum rated output).
- Be located in the service territory of, or deliver power to, Portland General Electric or Pacific Power in Oregon.
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Reach out to learn more.
If you have a geothermal resource and are interested in using it to generate electricity, contact Josh Reed at joshua.reed@energytrust.org.
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Get the help you need.
It’s helpful to start with a feasibility study or expert assistance to move through permitting or utility interconnection. Energy Trust may provide up to $200,000 in support for these and other types of project development activities, and we can help you identify engineers or other experts with the experience to help.
Project Development Assistance
Energy Trust provides project development assistance including, but not limited to, grant writing assistance, feasibility studies, final design, permitting, and utility interconnection. We can pay up to 50% of the cost of hiring an outside consultant to provide expert assistance for these activities, up to a maximum of $200,000.
Project development assistance forms
Installation incentives
Energy Trust provides incentives towards the construction costs of your geothermal project. Incentive levels are based on a project’s cost in comparison to the market value of the energy produced, or “above-market cost”. A potential installation incentive is based on a net-present value assessment that accounts for all the project’s costs and revenues. In return for our funding contribution, we ask for a negotiated share of the project’s Environmental Attributes (e.g. Renewable Energy Certificates), which are held in trust for the ratepayers who pay the public purpose charge that funds our work.
Incentives are subject to funding availability and may change.
Interconnection information
For first-time developers, the utility interconnection processes can seem daunting. As described on the Details tab, Energy Trust offers Project Development Assistance incentives to encourage developers to engage professionals to speed up the development process.
These guidebooks have been written for both new and experienced developers and are intended to serve as a roadmap to Oregon’s utility interconnection process.
Questions? Need Help? Contact Us.
We’re here to explain the process and benefits. Email Josh Reed at Joshua.reed@energytrust.org.
