Port of Hood River considers solar project at Hood River Airport

“It’s really to increase access, because over 75 percent of households cannot install solar due to shade, renters, multi-family, etc., so there a lot of reasons why you can’t access solar and this program is really saying how do we expand those benefits,” said Mid–Columbia Economic Development District (MCEDD) Energy Coordinator Marla Harvey at a May 21 Port Commission meeting.

Harvey appeared before the commission to present information on the Hood River Energy Plan — a document signed by local governing bodies in 2018 to serve as a blueprint for reducing carbon emissions — and the potential new solar project. The Hood River Energy Council, a special project of MCEDD, serves as an advisory body on the Energy Plan.

“The Hood River County Energy Council … sees this as a really exciting way to implement the Energy Plan,” she said. “Not only can you get a system that’s up to 3 megawatts … but we can truly share those benefits throughout the community.”

Each project consists of an offsite solar system — up to 3 megawatts in peak capacity — that feeds energy into the grid system. Residential, commercial and industrial customers would then be able to take out a subscription, either on a monthly or share-agreement basis, and have that credited on their utility bill.

“The Hood River airport site quickly rose to the top of the list (of potential sites for a solar system) because of the unique attributes of the property, including proximity to load and contiguous flat land. The attributes of the site, along with the port’s commitment to sustainability, economic development, public good and local resilience, makes it a perfect partner for Hood River’s first community solar project — which could also be one of the first in the state,” Harvey said in a letter addressed to the port commission.

The project would involve installing a solar system on approximately 5.5 acres of property at the Hood River Airport, which is owned by the Port of Hood River. The port would decide what degree of involvement it wants to have with the project, from just leasing the land to managing the entire project, or somewhere in between. 

Each project must have at least 10 participants and no single participant can take out a share larger than 40 percent; legislation requires that at least 10 percent of the program capacity serve low income customers and at least 50 percent serve residential and small commercial customers.

Since Community Solar Program hasn’t officially launched yet, some details such as administrative costs and interconnection rules still need to be determined, and additional studies to determine the feasibility of the project on the airport property still need to be completed, but the commissioners expressed interest in the project and gave port staff permission to continue discussions with the Energy Council.

“Show me a way that the port can be energy neutral — net — is interesting in itself; show me how we can do that and make money? That’s really interesting,” said Commissioner Ben Sheppard.

The Hood River Energy Council and Sustainable Northwest have secured over $12,000 to prepare the community for participation in the program.

“The program puts a cap on cumulative project capacity, and it is expected to fill quickly once open,” said Harvey in the letter. “Preparing now will allow Hood River County to strategically participate in this limited opportunity once it becomes live,” likely near the end of 2019, she said.

Representatives from the Hood River Energy Council will be providing info on the Energy Plan and the Community Solar Program at an upcoming STEM Fair in downtown Hood River on Friday, June 7 from 5-7 p.m.